Digital Commons Network^™

Synthesis, Characterization, Molecular Docking, Admet Prediction, And Anti-Inflammatory Activity Of Some Schiff Bases Derived From Salicylaldehyde As A Potential Cyclooxygenase Inhibitor, Narmin Hamaamin Hussen

Baghdad Science Journal

A series of Schiff base-bearing salicylaldehyde moiety compounds (1-4) had been designed, synthesized, subjected to insilico ADMET prediction, molecular docking, characterization by FT-IR, and CHNS analysis techniques, and finally to their Anti-inflammatory profile using cyclooxygenase fluorescence inhibitor screening assay methods along with standard drugs, celecoxib, and diclofenac. The ADMET studies were used to predict which compounds would be suitable for oral administration, as well as absorption sites, bioavailability, TPSA, and drug likeness. According to the results of ADME data, all of the produced chemicals can be absorbed through the GIT and have passed Lipinski’s rule of five. Through molecular docking …

Evaluation Of The Cytotoxic Effects Of The Colchicine Compound Isolated From The Leaves Of Calotropis Procera (Ait) Against Mcf-7 And Sk-Gt-4 Cancer Cell Lines., Muna A.Y. Al-Mussawii, Emad Y. A. Al-Sultan, Maytham A. Al-Hamdani

Baghdad Science Journal

Alkaloids are regarded as important nitrogen-containing chemical compounds that serve as a rich source for discovering and developing new drugs where most plant-origin alkaloids have antiproliferation effects on different kinds of cancers. Alkaloids’ continence of Calotropis procera leaves are detected by two biochemical alkaloid reagents. Also GC-MS analysis for leaf alkaloid extract was done that showed the existence of one type of alkaloid compound at retention time12.8min detected as colchicine (C22H25N06( by comparing it with colchicine standard reference (Sigma Aldrich) with M.wt 399g/mol and percentage area 7.1%. Furthermore, identification, separation, and purification for purified colchicine compound were conducted by HPLC …

Impacts Of Denial-Of-Service Attack On Energy Efficiency Pulse Coupled Oscillator, Faisal Osman Hassan, Nasrina M Samir, Zurina Mohd Hanapi

Baghdad Science Journal

The Pulse Coupled Oscillator (PCO) has attracted substantial attention and widely used in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), where it utilizes firefly synchronization to attract mating partners, similar to artificial occurrences that mimic natural phenomena. However, the PCO model might not be applicable for simultaneous transmission and data reception because of energy constraints. Thus, an energy-efficient pulse coupled oscillator (EEPCO) has been proposed, which employs the self-organizing method by combining biologically and non-biologically inspired network systems and has proven to reduce the transmission delay and energy consumption of sensor nodes. However, the EEPCO method has only been experimented in attack-free networks …

Influence Of Feedstock And Moisture Content In A Continuous Feed Screw Torrefier, Anna H. Partridge, Isabella Casini, Denise A. Mckahn, David Carter, Charles Chamberlin, Arne Jacobson, Kyle Palmer, Yaad Rana, Mark Severy

Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper investigates the parameters impacting product quality in a pilot scale biomass torrefaction reactor. The system analyzed in this work was designed and manufactured by Norris Thermal Technologies for use in Big Lagoon, California at a remote mill site. The torrefaction unit was a continuous feed reactor with an electrically heated screw, which served the dual purpose of heating and biomass conveyance. The energy and mass yields were found to be highly correlated in this analysis. The best predictor of both energy and mass yield in this study was the steady state temperature measurement in the biomass product closest …

Control Of Cd4+ T Cells To Restrain Inflammatory Diseases Via Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase, Hao-Yun Peng, Liqing Wang, Jugal Kishore Das, Anil Kumar, Darby J. Ballard, Yijie Ren, Xiaofeng Xiong, Paul De Figueiredo, Jin-Ming Yang, Jianxun Song

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

CD4+ T cells, particularly IL-17-secreting helper CD4+ T cells, play a central role in the inflammatory processes underlying autoimmune disorders. Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase (eEF2K) is pivotal in CD8+ T cells and has important implications in vascular dysfunction and inflammation-related diseases such as hypertension. However, its specific immunological role in CD4+ T cell activities and related inflammatory diseases remains elusive. Our investigation has uncovered that the deficiency of eEF2K disrupts the survival and proliferation of CD4+ T cells, impairs their ability to secrete cytokines. Notably, this dysregulation leads to heightened production of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17, fosters a pro-inflammatory microenvironment …

Copy Number Variation That Influences The Ionizing Radiation Sensitivity Of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Tadahide Izumi, Piotr G. Rychahou, Li Chen, Molly H. Smith, Joseph Valentino

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Genome instability in cancer cells causes not only point mutations but also structural variations of the genome, including copy number variations (CNVs). It has recently been proposed that CNVs arise in cancer to adapt to a given microenvironment to survive. However, how CNV influences cellular resistance against ionizing radiation remains unknown. PRMT5 (protein arginine methyltransferase 5) and APE1 (apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1), which enhance repair of DNA double-strand breaks and oxidative DNA damage, are closely localized in the chromosome 14 of the human genome. In this study, the genomics data for the PRMT5 and APE1 genes, including their expression, CNVs, and …

Dense Granule Protein 3 Of Toxoplasma Gondii Plays A Crucial Role In The Capability Of The Tissue Cysts Of The Parasite To Persist In The Presence Of Anti-Cyst Cd8+ T Cells During The Chronic Stage Of Infection, Rajesh Mani, Mohamed H. Abdelaziz, Eri Ochiai, Qila Sa, Barbara A. Fox, David J. Bzik, Yasuhiro Suzuki

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Toxoplasma gondii establishes chronic infection by forming tissue cysts, and this chronic infection is one of the most common parasitic infections in humans. Our recent studies revealed that whereas CD8 + T cells of genetically resistant BALB/c mice have the capability to remove the tissue cysts of the parasite through their perforin-mediated activities, small portions of the cysts are capable of persisting in the presence of the anti-cyst CD8+ T cells. It is currently unknown how those small portions of the cysts resist or escape the T-cell immunity and persist in the hosts. In the present study, we discovered that …

Distinct Camp Signaling Microdomains Differentially Regulate Melanosomal Ph And Pigmentation, Maftuna Yusupova, Dalee Zhou, Jaewon You, Jeydi Gonzalez-Guzman, Megha B. Ghanta, Hong Pu, Zalfa Abdel-Malek, Qiuying Chen, Steven S. Gross, John August D'Orazio, Shosuke Ito, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Melissa L. Harris, Jonathan H. Zippin

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

cAMP signaling is a well-established regulator of melanin synthesis. Two distinct cAMP signaling pathways—the transmembrane adenylyl cyclase pathway, activated primarily by the MC1R, and the soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) pathway—affect melanin synthesis. The sAC pathway affects melanin synthesis by regulating melanosomal pH, and the MC1R pathway affects melanin synthesis by regulating gene expression and post-translational modifications. However, whether MC1R genotype affects melanosomal pH is poorly understood. We now report that loss of function MC1R does not affect melanosomal pH. Thus, sAC signaling appears to be the only cAMP signaling pathway that regulates melanosomal pH. We also addressed whether MC1R genotype …

Effects Of Interfraction Dose Variations Of Target And Organs At Risk On Clinical Outcomes In High Dose Rate Brachytherapy For Cervical Cancer, Brien Washington, Dennis C. Cheek, Denise Fabian, Mahesh R. Kudrimoti, Damodar Pokhrel, Chi Wang, Cameron Thayer-Freeman, Wei Luo

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Meeting dose prescription is critical to control tumors in radiation therapy. Interfraction dose variations (IDVs) from the prescribed dose in high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR) would cause the target dose to deviate from the prescription but their clinical effect has not been widely discussed in the literature. Our previous study found that IDVs followed a left-skewed distribution. The clinical effect of the IDVs in 100 cervical cancer HDR patients will be addressed in this paper. An in-house Monte Carlo (MC) program was used to simulate clinical outcomes by convolving published tumor dose response curves with IDV distributions. The optimal dose …

Elongation Of Very Long Chain Fatty Acids-3 (Elovl3) Is Activated By Zhx2 And Is A Regulator Of Cell Cycle Progression, Kate Townsend Creasy, Hui Ren, Jieyun Jiang, Martha L. Peterson, Brett T. Spear

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Zinc fingers and homeoboxes 2 (Zhx2) are transcriptional regulators of liver gene expression with key functions in embryonic development as well as tissue regeneration in response to damage and disease, presumably through its control of target genes. Previous microarray data suggested that elongation of very long chain fatty acids-3 (Elovl3), a member of the ELOVL family of enzymes that synthesize very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs), is a putative Zhx2 target gene. VLCFAs are core component of ceramides and other bioactive sphingolipids that are often dysregulated in diseases and regulate key cellular processes including proliferation. Since several previously identified Zhx2 …

Inhibition Of Mitochondrial Fission Activates Glycogen Synthesis To Support Cell Survival In Colon Cancer, Sumati Raj Hasani, Lyndsay E. A. Young, Warren Van Nort, Moumita Banerjee, Dylan R. Rivas, Jinhwan Kim, Xiaopeng Xiong, Ramon C. Sun, Matthew S. Gentry, Hiromi Sesaki, Tianyan Gao

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Metabolic reprogramming has been recognized as one of the major mechanisms that fuel tumor initiation and progression. Our previous studies demonstrate that activation of Drp1 promotes fatty acid oxidation and downstream Wnt signaling. Here we investigate the role of Drp1 in regulating glycogen metabolism in colon cancer. Knockdown of Drp1 decreases mitochondrial respiration without increasing glycolysis. Analysis of cellular metabolites reveals that the levels of glucose-6-phosphate, a precursor for glycogenesis, are significantly elevated whereas pyruvate and other TCA cycle metabolites remain unchanged in Drp1 knockdown cells. Additionally, silencing Drp1 activates AMPK to stimulate the expression glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1) mRNA …

Phosphatidic Acid Binding To Patched Contributes To The Inhibition Of Smoothened And Hedgehog Signaling In Drosophila Wing Development, Jie Zhang, Yajuan Liu, Chi Wang, Craig W. Vander Kooi, Jianhang Jia

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling controls growth and patterning during embryonic development and homeostasis in adult tissues. Hh binding to the receptor Patched (Ptc) elicits intracellular signaling by relieving Ptc-mediated inhibition of the transmembrane protein Smoothened (Smo). We uncovered a role for the lipid phosphatidic acid (PA) in the regulation of the Hh pathway in Drosophila melanogaster. Deleting the Ptc C-terminal tail or mutating the predicted PA-binding sites within it prevented Ptc from inhibiting Smo in wing discs and in cultured cells. The C-terminal tail of Ptc directly interacted with PA in vitro, an association that was reduced by Hh, and increased …

Regulated Translocation Of Neutral Sphingomyelinase-2 To The Plasma Membrane Drives Insulin Resistance In Steatotic Hepatocytes, Salim S. El-Amouri, Alexander A. Karakashian, Erhard Bieberich, Mariana N. Nikolova‑Karakashian

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Abstract Obesity-associated diabetes is linked to the accumulation of ceramide in various organs, including the liver. The exact mechanisms by which ceramide contributes to diabetic pathology are unclear, but one proposed scenario is that ceramide accumulation may inhibit insulin signaling pathways. It is unknown however whether the excess ceramide is generated proximal to the insulin receptor, that is, at the plasma membrane (PM), where it could affect the insulin signaling pathway directly, or the onset of insulin resistance is due to ceramide- induced mitochondrial dysfunction and/or lipotoxicity. Using hepatic cell lines and primary cultures, gain- and loss- of function approach, …

Stat3 Modulates Cd4+ T Mitochondrial Dynamics And Function In Aging, Emelia Zukowski, Marco Sannella, Jack Donato Rockhold, Gabriella Kalantar, Jingting Yu, Sara Santacruz-Calvo, Madison K. Kuhn, Nasun Hah, Ling Ouyang, Tzu-Wen Wang, Lyanne Murphy, Heather Marszalkowski, Kaleigh Gibney, Micah J. Drummond, Elizabeth A. Proctor, Hatice Hasturk, Barbara S. Nikolajczyk, Leena P. Bharath

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Aging promotes numerous intracellular changes in T cells that impact their effector function. Our data show that aging promotes an increase in the localization of STAT3 to the mitochondria (mitoSTAT3), which promotes changes in mitochondrial dynamics and function and T-cell cytokine production. Mechanistically, mitoSTAT3 increased the activity of aging T-cell mitochondria by increasing complex II. Limiting mitoSTAT3 using a mitochondria-targeted STAT3 inhibitor, Mtcur-1 lowered complex II activity, prevented age-induced changes in mitochondrial dynamics and function, and reduced Th17 inflammation. Exogenous expression of a constitutively phosphorylated form of STAT3 in T cells from young adults mimicked changes in mitochondrial dynamics and …

Application Of Computational Tools To Identify Variations Associated With Peromyscus Dominant Spot, Zhenhua Shang

Theses and Dissertations

Peromyscus are the most prevalent mammalian species in North America, and they're employed extensively in both laboratory and field studies. P. maniculatus and P. polionotus, the deer mouse and the old-field mouse, are closely related and can produce viable and fertile hybrid offspring. However, a comprehensive database of polymorphisms, particularly in those kept as living stocks and supplied to university researchers, is lacking. In chapter 2, we performed comparative genomic study on P. maniculatus and P. polionotus and used the polymorphic data to identify the range of genetic complexity that underlies physiological and behavioral differences between two species. We also …

Revolting Motherhood: [De]Generative Breast Stories Transmuting Medical/Moral Paradigms In Britain During The Long Nineteenth Century, Leslie Rene Pearson

Theses and Dissertations

Eric Plemons writes in *The Look of A Woman* that “biological stories do more than describe biologies” (54). This dissertation explores what breast cancer stories do and how society creates meaning around the experience of breast cancer. I argue that, in the long nineteenth century in Britain, breast cancer was part of a two-sided medical/moral paradigm where medical diagnosis became enmeshed with morality. Health, then, became a result of proper domestic behavior, disease a result of straying from societal norms. Following the introductory chapter, chapter two traces the development of this paradigm as an outgrowth of the emergence of middle-class …

A Method For Single-Particle Magnetic Particle Spectroscopy With A Nanofabricated Coplanar Stripline, Jacob Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Drawing from magnetic particle imaging principles, magnetic particle spectroscopy (MPS) serves as a valuable tool employing superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in diverse applications ranging from medical imaging to biosensing and the comprehensive study of magnetic particles’ characteristics. MPS leverages the nonlinear response exhibited by SPIONs when a external magnetic field is applied, enabling a highly sensitive method for examining biological systems and more. However, conventional MPS setups demand a high particle concentration of approximately 10^15 particles per liter to generate a detectable response. The first objective of this work is to simulate the dynamics of a system with the ability …

Latency Time From Prior Authorization Submission To Initiation Of Biologic Therapy In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Shannon Capraro, Janelle R. Noel-Macdonnell Phd, Lauren Disselhoff, Layne Sieve, Rachel Chevalier

Posters

Background For pediatric patients with a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), initiation of biologic therapy can be essential to attain disease control. Unfortunately, patients often experience delays in receiving the first dose of these medications due to the need for insurance companies to approve medication prior authorizations (PA). Physicians and support staff spend many working hours collating and transferring information regarding urgency to payors. To our knowledge, no studies exist to evaluate the factors that contribute to how quickly a medication is approved in pediatric patients. We set out here to evaluate which demographic and disease factors contribute to …

Early Development Of C3ar1-Targeting Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells For The Treatment Of Glioblastoma Multiforme, Cameron Fraser

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive type of glioma, demonstrating extremely low long-term survival despite modern therapies. Chimeric antigen receptor T cells have shown extreme levels of success in the treatment of B cell lymphomas through persistent anti-tumor activity. Prior research has demonstrated the therapeutic potential in targeting the C3a-C3aR1 pathway as it acts in an autocrine loop, maintaining the proliferation and survival of cancer stem cells within the tumor. Here, we reorient the treatment to target C3aR1 for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme. In order to achieve this, Jurkat immortalized T cells will express various chimeric antigen receptor designs …

Distinguishing Dystrophic Calcification From Calciphylaxis, Elizabeth Jones, Alexander Valiga, Miriam Solowey

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

Introduction

Calcinosis cutis, a disorder in which calcium salts deposit in skin and subcutis, is categorized into five subtypes: dystrophic calcification, metastatic calcification, idiopathic calcification, iatrogenic calcification, and calciphylaxis.

Dystrophic calcification, the most common subtype, typically results from local tissue damage1,2 and is proposed to be caused by the release of phosphate binding proteins by necrotic cells in response to tissue damage, inflammation, or hypoxia.2 The condition often presents with nontender nodules of the skin or subcutis and normal serum calcium.

Calciphylaxis is believed to be caused by impaired inhibition of calcification in the microvasculature.3 …

Factors Influencing Instructors’ Adoption And Continued Use Of Computing Science Technologies: A Case Study In The Context Of Cell Collective, Changsoo Song, Resa M. Helikar, Wendy Smith, Tomáš Helikar

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Acquiring computational modeling and simulation skills has become ever more critical for students in life sciences courses at the secondary and tertiary levels. Many modeling and simulation tools have been created to help instructors nurture those skills in their classrooms. Understanding the factors that may motivate instructors to use such tools is crucial to improve students’ learning, especially for having authentic modeling and simulation learning experiences. This study designed and tested a decomposed technology acceptance model in which the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use constructs are split between the teaching and learning sides of the technology to examine …

Upscaling Wetland Methane Emissions From The Fluxnet-Ch4 Eddy Covariance Network (Upch4 V1.0): Model Development, Network Assessment, And Budget Comparison, Gavin Mcnicol, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Zutao Ouyang, Sara Knox, Zhen Zhang, Tuula Aalto, Sheel Bansal, Kuang Yu Chang, Min Chen, Kyle Delwiche, Sarah Feron, Mathias Goeckede, Jinxun Liu, Avni Malhotra, Joe R. Melton, William Riley, Rodrigo Vargas, Kunxiaojia Yuan, Qing Ying, Qing Zhu, Pavel Alekseychik, Mika Aurela, David Billesbach, David I. Campbell, Jiquan Chen, Housen Chu, Ankur R. Desai, Eugenie Euskirchen, Jordan Goodrich, Timothy Griffis, Manuel Helbig, Takashi Hirano, Hiroki Iwata, Gerald Jurasinski, John King, Franziska Koebsch, Randall Kolka, Ken Krauss, Annalea Lohila, Ivan Mammarella

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Wetlands are responsible for 20%–31% of global methane (CH4) emissions and account for a large source of uncertainty in the global CH4 budget. Data-driven upscaling of CH4 fluxes from eddy covariance measurements can provide new and independent bottom-up estimates of wetland CH4 emissions. Here, we develop a six-predictor random forest upscaling model (UpCH4), trained on 119 site-years of eddy covariance CH4 flux data from 43 freshwater wetland sites in the FLUXNET-CH4 Community Product. Network patterns in site-level annual means and mean seasonal cycles of CH4 fluxes were reproduced accurately in tundra, boreal, and temperate regions (Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency ∼0.52–0.63 and 0.53). …

Overview Of Hypertension In Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Sulaiman A. Alshammari, Abdullah S. Alshammari, Hotoon S. Alshammari, Shaik S. Ahamed

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Saudi Arabia. Methods: We searched electronic databases and the references lists of found publications between 1990 and 2022. Original cross-sectional studies in English were included using PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Saudi Digital Library. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the combined prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates of hypertension. Results: Twenty-nine studies with 278873 individuals aged 14-100 were considered. The pooled prevalence of hypertension was 22.66% (95% CI:18.95-26.60), Cochran’s Q=6221.98, dff=22, p <0.0001; I 2 =99.65%, Egger’s test ( p =0.0033) across 23 studies with 272378 people. The pooled hypertension awareness rate was 42.8% from 6 studies with 36046 participants (95% CI:35.66-50.01), Cochran’s Q=781.86, dff=5, p <0.0001; I 2 =99.4% and Egger’s test p =0.3772. The pooled proportion of hypertension patients treated in 6 studies involving 46075 samples was 59.4% (95% CI=38.14-79.02), Cochran’s Q=9793.79 dff=5, p <0.0001; I 2 =99.95%, Egger’s test p =0.8284. The pooled proportion of hypertension-controlled participants across 15 studies comprising 264817 subjects was 34.97% (95% CI: 27.62-42.68), Cochran’s Q=11048.28, dff=14, p <0.0001; I 2 =99.87% and Egger’s test p =0.9760. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension was high, with low awareness, treatment, and control rates among Saudis. Therefore, policymakers and healthcare providers must work harmoniously to promote health and to prevent, detect, and control hypertension early. PROSPERO Reg. No.: CRD42023407978

Identification Of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Gene (Cftr) Variants: A Retrospective Study On The Western And Southern Regions Of Saudi Arabia, Talal Almaghamsi, Wejdan Ba Attiyah, Mona Bahasan, Badi A. Alotaibi, Shahad F. Alahmadi, Mehenaz Hanbazazh, Abeer Zakariyah, Rimah A. Saleem, Munaifah K. Alanezi, Yousef Hawsawi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To investigate the geographic distribution of common cystic fibrosis (CF) variants in the western and southern regions of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 69 patients diagnosed with CF at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Jeddah. Patient data were collected retrospectively between June 2000 and November 2021. Various parameters were considered, including patient demographic information, CFTR variants, and respiratory cultures. Results: We identified 26 CFTR variants in 69 patients with CF, including one novel variant that had not been reported or published before (1549del G) in 2 patients with CF. The 6 most prevalentvariants …

H5n1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Clade 2.3.4.4b In Wild And Domestic Birds: Introductions Into The United States And Reassortments, December 2021–April 2022, Sungsu Youk, Mia Kim Torchetti, Kristina Lantz, Julianna B. Lenoch, Mary Lea Killian, Christina Leyson, Sarah N. Bevins, Krista Dilione, Hon S. Ip, David E. Stallknecht, Rebecca L. Poulson, David L. Suarez, David E. Swayne, Mary J. Pantin-Jackwood

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage H5 clade 2.3.4.4b continue to have a devastating effect on domestic and wild birds. Full genome sequence analyses using 1369 H5N1 HPAIVs detected in the United States (U.S.) in wild birds, commercial poultry, and backyard flocks from December 2021 to April 2022, showed three phylogenetically distinct H5N1 virus introductions in the U.S. by wild birds. Unreassorted Eurasian genotypes A1 and A2 entered the Northeast Atlantic states, whereas a genetically distinct A3 genotype was detected in Alaska. The A1 genotype spread westward via wild bird migration and reassorted with North American …

Tracing And Segmentation Of Molecular Patterns In 3-Dimensional Cryo-Et/Em Density Maps Through Algorithmic Image Processing And Deep Learning-Based Techniques, Salim Sazzed

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Understanding the structures of biological macromolecules is highly important as they are closely associated with cellular functionalities. Comprehending the precise organization of actin filaments is crucial because they form the dynamic cytoskeleton, which offers structural support to cells and connects the cell’s interior with its surroundings. However, determining the precise organization of actin filaments is challenging due to the poor quality of cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) images, which suffer from low signal-to-noise (SNR) ratios and the presence of missing wedge, as well as diverse shape characteristics of actin filaments. To address these formidable challenges, the primary component of this dissertation focuses …

The Improving Medication Adherence In Adolescents And Young Adults Following Liver Transplantation (Imalt) Multisite Trial: Design And Trial Implementation Considerations, Eyal Shemesh, Sarah Duncan-Park, George Mazariegos, Rachel Annunziato, Ravinder Anand, Miguel Reyes-Mugica, Jeff Mitchell, Benjamin L Shneider

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background/aims: Medication non-adherence is a leading cause of transplant rejection, organ loss, and death; yet no rigorous controlled study to date has shown compelling clinical benefits from an adherence-improving intervention. Non-adherent patients are less likely to participate in trials, and therefore, most studies enroll a majority of adherent patients who do not stand to benefit from the intervention, as they do not have the condition (non-adherence) under investigation. The improving Medication Adherence in adolescent Liver Transplant recipients trial specifically targets non-adherent patients to investigate whether a remote intervention to improve adherence results in reduced incidence of biopsy-confirmed rejection.

Methods: Improving …

Single-Cell Rna Sequencing Provides New Insights Into Therapeutic Roles Of Thyroid Hormone In Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Lan Wang, Zhongzheng Li, Ruyan Wan, Xin Pan, Bin Li, Huabin Zhao, Juntang Yang, Weiming Zhao, Shenghui Wang, Qiwen Wang, Peishuo Yan, Chi Ma, Hongmei Yuan, Mengxia Zhao, Ivan Rosas, Chen Ding, Baofa Sun, Guoying Yu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fatal interstitial lung disease without an effective cure. Herein, we explore the role of 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T3) administration on lung alveolar regeneration and fibrosis at the single-cell level. T3 supplementation significantly altered the gene expression in fibrotic lung tissues. Immune cells were rapidly recruited into the lung after the injury; there were much more M2 macrophages than M1 macrophages in the lungs of bleomycin-treated mice; and M1 macrophages increased slightly, whereas M2 macrophages were significantly reduced after T3 treatment. T3 enhanced the resolution of pulmonary fibrosis by promoting the differentiation of Krt8+ transitional …

Supplemental Issue Of The Journal Of The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (Jaids): The Centers For Aids Research (Cfar) Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Pathway Initiative (Cdeipi), Alan E Greenberg, Anthony K Wutoh, Lisa Bowleg, Manya Magnus, Brandi Robinson, Lorena Segarra, Eric Refsland

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

The Black Ceiling: Employment Experiences Of Women Of Colour In Southwest Ireland, Prof Margaret Linehan Prof, Dr Corina Sheerin

Dept. of Organisation & Professional Development Publications

This report presents valuable insights of the lived experiences of women of colour in the labour market in southwest Ireland. Their voices articulate a perceived double challenge of being both female and persons of colour, challenges not shared by male persons of colour or generally by white persons in organizations. Some of these challenges arise from misunderstandings, unwarranted preconceptions, conscious and unconscious biases, but sometimes from an insensitive blending of racist and misogynist attitudes. The importance of educating the wider labour market, and society in general, to the sensitivities of these employees is apparent from this report. Proactive implementation of …