Digital Commons Network^™

Perceived Network Responsiveness As A Moderator Of The Effects Of Social Media Use On Wellbeing, Angalee Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Social media’s role in daily life is on the rise, but as social media use increases, so do questions about its potential benefits or harms. This set of studies examined the relationship between social media use, wellbeing, and perceived network responsiveness, a measure of an individual’s perception about the degree to which their online social networks are caring, validating, and understanding. Two pre-registered correlational studies which employed surveys of undergraduate students (Study 1a: N = 218, Study 1b: N = 179) found that perceived network responsiveness was positively correlated with life satisfaction and negatively correlated with loneliness. A pre-registered experimental …

Synergetic Combination Of Seawater And Polymer-Coated Nickel Nanoparticles For Co2 Capture, Abhishek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Due to technological advancement, energy consumption and demand have been increasing significantly, primarily satisfied by fossil fuel utilization. The dependence on fossil fuels results in substantial greenhouse gas emissions, with CO₂ being the principal factor in global warming. Carbon capture technologies are employed to mitigate the escalated CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere. Among various carbon capture methods, amine scrubbing is widely utilized because of its high CO2 capture efficiency and ease of adaptability to the existing power plants. This method, however, presents drawbacks, including increased toxicity, corrosiveness, and substantial freshwater use. To overcome these shortcomings and simultaneously develop an environmentally …

Systematic Review Of The Literature On Promoting Healthy Food Choice And Food Preparation For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities (Idd), Denise J. Dowdie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Sound health is critical to quality of life (Skevington, 2007). Acquisition of skills in self-determination and independence are integral to quality of life. Two facets that engender self-determination and independence for an individual are healthy food choice and food preparation (Koponen et al., 2019; Yaddaden et al., 2019). However, healthy food choice and food preparation have received scant attention as individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) continue to face health disparities and poor health status. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore single subject experimental studies conducted on healthy food choice and food preparation from 2005 to 2022 …

The Handcuffs Of Poverty: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Government Intervention In Public Elementary Schools And Student Academic Achievement In A Large Urban District, Justin Grasinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

In this study, the researcher uses quantitative methods to examine the extent to which Title I funding helps public schools with large populations of economically-disadvantaged students increase student academic achievement in reading and math in grades 3–5, and whether the leaders of these schools utilize specific social justice actions identified through a review of literature. The researcher gathers grade level student proficiency data for students in grades 3–5 and performs a bivariate correlation and a simple regression analysis to determine the extent to which identified schools receiving Title I funds are able to increase student proficiency rates over a three-year …

The Tear That Never Reaches The Ground, Leslie Deborah Albert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

My fascination with the human figure remains a prominent part of my work as a familiar and complex path to formalist traditions. But as I have sought to expand my engagement with representational figuration, I look towards themes of universal emotions and conditions - grief, remembrance, anger, affection and resolve. Within this, I often allude to socio-political content, art historical references or personal experiences. In integrating representational figuration with a contemporary approach, I incorporate techniques of drawing, painting and printmaking into narrative formats while preserving the figure as the protagonist. I lean into gestural lines, expressive marks and abstract color …

Weaving Visual Identities Beyond Borders Through Immersive Experience, Narges Panahandeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Effective communication and a sense of togetherness between people from different backgrounds happen on a platform of mutual understanding. The boundaries of differences between people from various cultures limit our understanding of each other's conditions, problems, and concerns. As a designer, I seek to fade the boundaries between cultures and facilitate a conversation, promoting mutual understanding by blending visual elements from American and Iranian cultures. With interactive visual media and storytelling, I have created diverse visual artworks that combine traditional Iranian arts and crafts elements with visuals from American popular culture. This body of work includes illustrations, patterns, motion design, …

Analysis Of Tobacco Resistance To Saline Conditions Via Endogenous Expression Of Senn24 Gene From The Halophyte Plant Salicornia Europaea, Lij Wynter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Freshwater salinization and expanding desertification threaten global agriculture. Promise lies in salt resistance genes found in Salicornia europaea, a halophyte that thrives in high-salt conditions partly due to protein action. We focused one of its genes, SeNN24. It enhanced salt resistance in yeast and shows promise in improving crop resilience. Our research introduced SeNN24 into tobacco via agrobacterial transformation, testing the plants under salt and drought conditions. The transformed tobacco showed superior tolerance of up to 400mM NaCl and drought, maintaining health and even flowering under stress. This suggests that SeNN24 could potentially confer significant salt and drought resistance to …

Artificial Intelligence And Human Creativity: A Value Study Of Craft And Technology In Graphic Design, Maria Pimenova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The thesis focuses on the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and graphic design, aiming to understand AI's potential while emphasizing the unique value of human designers. This exploration will involve transforming AI-generated patterns into physical forms using paper, demonstrating the positive possibilities of AI in creative pursuits. By blending AI output with human creativity, the thesis will show how both play essential, distinct roles. The study addresses concerns about AI's potential to replace human artists. By highlighting AI as a tool that enhances, rather than replaces, human creativity, the thesis debunks the misconception that AI will eradicate human artistry. Instead, …

Combined Legacy Impacts Of Melaleuca Quinquenervia And Broadcast Aerial Herbicide Treatments In The Florida Everglades, James J. Lange

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Melaleuca quinquenervia is an Australian tree, an aggressive invader of South Florida ecosystems, and has impacted over 100,000 acres of wetlands with many documented deleterious effects on native ecosystems. Millions of dollars are spent each year on management. The most rapid and cost-effective approach to date is the delivery of broadcast aerial herbicide application via helicopter, though long-term effects of this indiscriminate approach on native vegetation communities is poorly understood. We experimentally examined the effects of broadcast herbicides on uninvaded sawgrass plots in comparison to clip treatments and controls which showed that while clipped plots quickly recovered toward pre-treatment dominance, …

Considering The Affective Potentials Of The Emotional Appeal In Persuasive Discourse Through Multimodality In The First-Year Composition Classroom, Kimberly A. Bain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

In identifying ways to create inclusive spaces in the classroom, instructors should not be limited by singular modes of discourse to engage students. Particularly when teaching first-year students who seek to invent the university and claim their intellectual space within it, these considerations must be deeply integrated into the course curriculum and not seen as an extended project to be optional or added at the end of a semester. Rather, instructors must find ways to integrate multimodal discourses in the first-year composition course as a foundation of learning. One way to do this is to engage students in multimodal practices …

Fragmented Realities: Exploring Vulnerability And Identity In The Digital Age, Nargiza Dadabaeva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This thesis exhibition explores how digital culture affects identity and connection through a series of paintings made through collage, mixed media, and reflective surfaces. It looks at how identity is fragmented in the digital age when we construct personas online that are selected and, therefore, less authentic. The paintings juxtapose the use of analog methods with digital imagery, in order to ask about the tension between vulnerability and performance and the authenticity of online interactions. The series is about emotional exhaustion, curated personas, and the search for genuine connection. Reflective elements and textures mounted and layered encourage viewers to engage …

Human Or Ai?: Can Ai Replace Human Graphic Designers, Crystal Bacchus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Artificial intelligence is now a way of life meaning, it is hard to find any type of technology or technological advance that isn’t assisted by or powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning. From Siri on our iPhones to our computer tailored Netflix home screens to fast learning computerized and independent floor vacuums AI is everywhere you turn intruding on every aspect of daily functioning. As the pressure of said intrusion increases questions arise about whether all these advances can become crushing to humans. In some instances technology with AI components has been used to replace certain skill sets affecting …

A Sense Of Danger: Gender-Based Violence And The Quest For A Sensory Criminology, Amanda Holt, Sian Lewis

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This article responds to recent calls for a ‘sensory criminology’ by offering a multi-sensorial analysis of gender-based violence (GBV). We examine both the often-discussed external senses as well as the more marginalized internal senses and explore how emotion, the broader criminological ‘atmosphere’ of GBV and the shift in atmosphere during the Covid-19 pandemic are implicated in women’s experiences of street-based sexual harassment and sexual assault. By analysing over 140 stories of GBV during the Covid-19 lockdowns, we evidence the scope and value of a fully multi-sensory criminology.

Job Satisfaction And Intent To Stay In Neonatal Nursing In England And Wales: A Study Protocol, Kathy Chant, Jos M. Latour, Nicola Booth, Lisa Viola, Kelly Crofts, Yoko Nishimura, Katie Gallagher

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: Nursing shortages are an ongoing concern for neonatal units, with many struggling to meet recommended nurse to patient ratios. Workforce data underlines the high proportion of neonatal nurses nearing retirement and a reduced number of nurses joining the profession. In order to recommend strategies to increase recruitment and retention to neonatal nursing, we need to understand the current challenges nurses are facing within the profession. The aim of this study is to investigate current job satisfaction, burnout, and intent to stay in neonatal nursing in England and Wales. Methods: This study has two parts: (1) a systematic review exploring …

How And When Post Intensive Care Syndrome-Family Is Measured: A Scoping Review, Kati Hayes, Sam Harding, Bronagh Blackwood, Jos M. Latour

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Objectives: Family members of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients can experience mental health difficulties. These are collectively described as Post Intensive Care Syndrome-Family (PICS-F). There are no standardised outcome measures to benchmark the impact of PICS-F. This scoping review aimed to map and characterise interventions, outcomes, and outcome instruments related to PICS-F. Methods: Eight databases were searched in June 2023: Pubmed, CINAHL, Ovid Medline, EMBASE, PsycInfo, AMED, Emcare and Cochrane. The grey literature was also searched. Studies published after 2012 related to PICS-F were included. Search strategy included: (Population) family members of adult ICU patients, (Concept) PICS-F, (Context) ICU settings. …

Single-Cell Rna Sequencing Analysis Identifies Acute Changes In The Tumor Microenvironment Induced By Interferon Α Gene Therapy In A Murine Bladder Cancer Model, Alexis R Steinmetz, Morgan Pierce, Alberto Martini, Come Tholomier, Ganiraju Manyam, Yan Chen, Akshay Sood, Jonathan J Duplisea, Burles A Johnson, Bogdan A Czerniak, Byron H Lee, Chinnaswamy Jagannath, Seppo Yla-Herttuala, Nigel R Parker, David J Mcconkey, Colin P Dinney, Sharada Mokkapati

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Nadofaragene firadenovec (Ad-IFNα/Syn3) is now approved for BCG-unresponsive bladder cancer (BLCA). IFNα is a pleiotropic cytokine that causes direct tumor cell killing via TRAIL-mediated apoptosis, angiogenesis inhibition, and activation of the innate and adaptive immune system. We established an immunocompetent murine BLCA model to study the effects of murine adenoviral IFNα (muAd-Ifnα) gene therapy on cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment using a novel murine equivalent of Nadofaragene firadenovec (muAd-Ifnα).

Methods: Tumors were induced by instilling MB49 cells into the bladders of mice; luciferase imaging confirmed tumor development. Mice were treated with adenovirus control (Ad-Ctrl; empty vector), or muAd-Ifnα …

In Vivo Scanning Laser Fundus And High-Resolution Oct Imaging Of Retinal Ganglion Cell Injury In A Non-Human Primate Model With An Activatable Fluorescent-Labeled Tat Peptide Probe, Xudong Qiu, Seth T Gammon, Carol Rasmussen, Federica Pisaneschi, Charlene B Y Kim, James Ver Hoeve, Steven W Millward, Edward M Barnett, T Michael Nork, Paul L Kaufman, David Piwnica-Worms

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The optical imaging agent TcapQ488 has enabled imaging of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) injury in vivo in rodents and has potential as an effective diagnostic probe for early detection and intervention monitoring in glaucoma patients. In the present study, we investigated TcapQ488 in non-human primates (NHPs) to identify labeling efficacy and early signals of injured RGC, to determine species-dependent changes in RGC probe uptake and clearance, and to determine dose-limiting toxicities. Doses of 3, 6, and 12 nmol of TcapQ488 were delivered intravitreally to normal healthy NHP eyes and eyes that had undergone hemiretinal endodiathermy axotomy (HEA) in the inferior …

Development And Initial Validation Of A Hospital Stress Questionnaire, Daniel M Ford, Rebecca Lawton, Elizabeth Travis, Elizabeth A Teale, Daryl B O'Connor

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Hospitalisation can be a traumatic experience, where inpatients are exposed to an abundance of physical and psychological stressors. Evidence suggests that these hospital-related stressors negatively impact health: a phenomenon known as post-hospital syndrome. The current study aimed to identify hospital-related stressors, and to develop and provide initial validation for a new measure of in-hospital stress.

METHODS: Measure development occurred in three stages: (i) semi-structured interviews, (ii) item generation, and (iii) pilot testing. Twenty-one patients were interviewed regarding their recent hospital experiences, and a list of hospital-related stressors was produced. These stressors were compiled into a questionnaire and piloted on …

Nasal Bots Carry Relevant Titers Of Cwd Prions In Naturally Infected White-Tailed Deer, Paulina Soto, Francisca Bravo-Risi, Carlos Kramm, Nazaret Gamez, Rebeca Benavente, Denise L Bonilla, J Hunter Reed, Mitch Lockwood, Terry R Spraker, Tracy Nichols, Rodrigo Morales

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting farmed and free-ranging cervids. CWD is rapidly expanding across North America and its mechanisms of transmission are not completely understood. Considering that cervids are commonly afflicted by nasal bot flies, we tested the potential of these parasites to transmit CWD. Parasites collected from naturally infected white-tailed deer were evaluated for their prion content using the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) technology and bioassays. Here, we describe PMCA seeding activity in nasal bot larvae collected from naturally infected, nonclinical deer. These parasites efficiently infect CWD-susceptible mice in ways suggestive of high infectivity …

Leadership Perspectives On Osteopathic Medical School Applicants To Pathology Residency Training, Melissa R George, Charles F Timmons, Kristen Johnson, Stephanie Barak, Mary P Berg, Bronwyn Bryant, John M Childs, Julie Katz Karp, Barbara E C Knollmann-Ritschel, Amanda Lofgreen, Thomas Mccarthy, Victor G Prieto, Gary W Procop, Tyler Sandersfeld, Kristie L White, Cindy B Mccloskey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The number of graduating allopathic (MD) medical students matching into pathology has declined in recent years, while the number of osteopathic (DO) medical students has increased modestly, given the rapid expansion of osteopathic medical schools. Nonscholarly publications and materials on the internet often perpetuate negative perceptions of osteopathic physicians. Anecdotally, perspectives exist that some pathology residency programs are not DO-friendly; however, the reasons and how widespread an effect this might be are unclear. Our survey queried pathology chairs and residency program directors about their perceptions of osteopathic applicants and their knowledge of osteopathic medical school/training in general. This study utilized …

Neuromuscular Polytrauma Pain Is Resolved By Macrophage Cox-2 Nanoimmunomodulation, Ibdanelo Cortez, Caitlyn M Gaffney, Riddhi Vichare, Caitlin V Crelli, Lu Liu, Eric Lee, Jules Edralin, James M Nichols, Hoang Vu Pham, Syed Mehdi, Jelena M Janjic, Andrew J Shepherd

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Soft tissue injuries often involve muscle and peripheral nerves and are qualitatively distinct from single-tissue injuries. Prior research suggests that damaged innervation compromises wound healing. To test this in a traumatic injury context, we developed a novel mouse model of nerve and lower limb polytrauma, which features greater pain hypersensitivity and more sustained macrophage infiltration than either injury in isolation. We also show that macrophages are crucial mediators of pain hypersensitivity in this model by delivering macrophage-targeted nanoemulsions laden with the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib. This treatment was more effective in males than females, and more effective when delivered 3 …

Hpv Vaccination In Africa In The Covid-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Healthcare Providers' Knowledge, Training, And Recommendation Practices, Joel Fokom Domgue, Issimouha Dille, Sharon Kapambwe, Robert Yu, Freddy Gnangnon, Lameck Chinula, Gad Murenzi, Nomonde Mbatani, Mala Pande, Fatoumata Sidibe, Joseph Kamgno, Bangaly Traore, Hicham El Fazazi, Mamadou Diop, Pierre-Marie Tebeu, Mohenou Isidore Diomande, Fabrice Lecuru, Isaac Adewole, Marie Plante, Partha Basu, Jean-Marie Dangou, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Although the burden of cervical cancer in Africa is highest, HPV vaccination coverage remains alarmingly low in this region. Providers' knowledge and recommendation are key drivers of HPV vaccination uptake. Yet, evidence about providers' knowledge and recommendation practices about the HPV vaccine against a backdrop of emerging vaccine hesitancy fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic is lacking in Africa.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021-2022 among healthcare providers involved in cervical cancer prevention activities in Africa. They were invited to report prior training, the availability of the HPV vaccine in their practice, whether they recommended the HPV vaccine, …

Awareness And Interest In Cannabis Use For Cancer Management Among Cancer Survivors, Ikponmwosa Osaghae, Rajesh Talluri, Onyema Greg Chido-Amajuoyi, Kimberson Tanco, Dimpy P Shah, Mala Pande, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: We examined the awareness, interest, and information sources relating to cannabis use for cancer management (including management of cancer symptoms and treatment-related side effects) and determined factors associated with cancer survivors' awareness and interest in learning about cannabis use for cancer management.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of adult cancer survivors (N = 1886) receiving treatment at a comprehensive cancer center. Weighted prevalence and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS: Among cancer survivors, 88% were aware and 60% were interested in learning about cannabis use for cancer management. Common sources of information to learn about cannabis use …

Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Exposure In Homes And Vehicles In Youth: Disparities Among Racial, And Sexual And Gender Minorities, Rajesh Talluri, Sahil S Shete, Surendra S Shastri, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) among youth is a serious public health concern, leading to an increased risk of conditions such as asthma and respiratory infections. However, there is little research on SHSe among vulnerable populations, such as racial and sexual minorities. Understanding the factors associated with youth SHSe in homes and vehicles is crucial to developing better protective policies.

METHODS: This study utilized 2020 data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, a representative sample of middle- and high-school students in the US. The primary outcomes were youth SHSe at home and while riding in a vehicle. Multinomial regression models …

Phospholipid Metabolic Adaptation Promotes Survival Of Idh2 Mutant Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells, Tatsuya Morishima, Koichi Takahashi, Desmond Wai Loon Chin, Yuxin Wang, Kenji Tokunaga, Yuichiro Arima, Masao Matsuoka, Toshio Suda, Hitoshi Takizawa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Genetic mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) gene that result in a pathological enzymatic activity to produce oncometabolite have been detected in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. While specific inhibitors that target mutant IDH enzymes and normalize intracellular oncometabolite level have been developed, refractoriness and resistance has been reported. Since acquisition of pathological enzymatic activity is accompanied by the abrogation of the crucial WT IDH enzymatic activity in IDH mutant cells, aberrant metabolism in IDH mutant cells can potentially persist even after the normalization of intracellular oncometabolite level. Comparisons of isogenic AML cell lines with and without IDH2 gene mutations …

Clic1-Mediated Autophagy Confers Resistance To Ddp In Gastric Cancer, Zhen-Liang Nong, Kun Zhao, Ye Wang, Zhu Yu, Cong-Jun Wang, Jun-Qiang Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Gastric cancer has been a constant concern to researchers as one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. The treatment options for gastric cancer include surgery, chemotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine. Chemotherapy is an effective treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer. Cisplatin (DDP) has been approved as a critical chemotherapy drug to treat various kinds of solid tumors. Although DDP is an effective chemotherapeutic agent, many patients develop drug resistance during treatment, which has become a severe problem in clinical chemotherapy. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of DDP resistance in gastric cancer. The results show that intracellular …

Usp22 Overexpression Fails To Augment Tumor Formation In Mmtv-Erbb2 Mice But Loss Of Function Impacts Mmtv Promoter Activity, Xianghong Kuang, Andrew Salinger, Fernando Benavides, William J Muller, Sharon Y R Dent, Evangelia Koutelou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Ubiquitin Specific Peptidase 22 (USP22), a component of the Spt-Ada-Gcn5 Acetyltransferase (SAGA) histone modifying complex, is overexpressed in multiple human cancers, but how USP22 impacts tumorigenesis is not clear. We reported previously that Usp22 loss in mice impacts execution of several signaling pathways driven by growth factor receptors such as erythroblastic oncogene B b2 (ERBB2). To determine whether changes in USP22 expression affects ERBB2-driven tumorigenesis, we introduced conditional overexpression or deletion alleles of Usp22 into mice bearing the Mouse mammary tumor virus-Neu-Ires-Cre (MMTV-NIC) transgene, which drives both rat ERBB2/NEU expression and Cre recombinase activity from the MMTV promoter resulting …

Suppression Of Il-1Β Promotes Beneficial Accumulation Of Fibroblast-Like Cells In Atherosclerotic Plaques In Clonal Hematopoiesis, Trevor P Fidler, Andrew Dunbar, Eunyoung Kim, Brian Hardaway, Jessica Pauli, Chenyi Xue, Sandra Abramowicz, Tong Xiao, Kavi O'Connor, Nadja Sachs, Nan Wang, Lars Maegdefessel, Ross Levine, Muredach Reilly, Alan R Tall

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Murine models of CH suggest a central role of inflammasomes and IL-1β in accelerated atherosclerosis and plaque destabilization. Here we show using single-cell RNA sequencing in human carotid plaques that inflammasome components are enriched in macrophages, while the receptor for IL-1β is enriched in fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). To address the role of inflammatory crosstalk in features of plaque destabilization, we conducted SMC fate mapping in Ldlr-/- mice modeling Jak2VF or Tet2 CH treated with IL-1β antibodies. Unexpectedly, this treatment minimally affected SMC differentiation, …

Loss Of The Auxiliary Α 2Δ1 Voltage-Sensitive Calcium Channel Subunit Impairs Bone Formation And Anabolic Responses To Mechanical Loading, Madison M Kelly, Karan Sharma, Christian S Wright, Xin Yi, Perla C Reyes Fernandez, Aaron T Gegg, Taylor A Gorrell, Megan L Noonan, Ahmed Baghdady, Jacob A Sieger, Annette C Dolphin, Stuart J Warden, Padmini Deosthale, Lilian I Plotkin, Uma Sankar, Julia M Hum, Alexander G Robling, Mary C Farach-Carson, William R Thompson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCCs) influence bone structure and function, including anabolic responses to mechanical loading. While the pore-forming (α1) subunit of VSCCs allows Ca2+ influx, auxiliary subunits regulate the biophysical properties of the pore. The α2δ1 subunit influences gating kinetics of the α1 pore and enables mechanically induced signaling in osteocytes; however, the skeletal function of α2δ1 in vivo remains unknown. In this work, we examined the skeletal consequences of deleting Cacna2d1, the gene encoding α2δ1. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and microcomputed tomography imaging demonstrated that deletion of α2δ1 diminished bone mineral content and density in both male and female …

Human Minor Salivary Glands: A Readily Available Source Of Salivary Stem/Progenitor Cells For Regenerative Applications, Caitlynn M L Barrows, Danielle Wu, Simon Young, Mary C Farach-Carson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Resident stem/progenitor cells within the secretory salivary glands offer a potential therapeutic resource for use in the regeneration of salivary glands needed to restore saliva production in patients with chronic xerostomia, or dry mouth. Methods were developed previously to isolate human stem/progenitor cells (hS/PCs) from major salivary glands (parotid/submandibular). Abundant minor salivary glands located in readily accessible locations in the oral cavity and lip could provide an additional valuable therapeutic resource. An advantage of this cell resource is that these minor glands about the size of grape seeds can be harvested from healthy donors using minimally invasive surgical procedures. The …