Life Sciences Commons^™

Assessing The State Of Clinically Applicable Research For Evidence Based Practice In Prosthetics And Orthotics, Mark Geil

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Evidence-based practice combines a practitioner’s training and experience with evidence established through scientific research. Fundamental to the evidence-based process for prosthetics and orthotics is the ongoing availability of clinically applicable research on relevant conditions, components, and patient populations. In the past, research has been successfully applied to practice, sometimes producing substantial changes. Examples include clinically applicable research that has assessed treatment effectiveness, altered clinical patient interaction, led to the development of new components and technologies, and challenged or changed long-standing clinical opinion. Despite past successes, obstacles remain in the application of research to practice. Practitioners have stated a desire for …

Sex Differences In Mu-Opioid Receptor Expression In The Rat Midbrain Periaqueductal Gray Are Essential For Eliciting Sex Differences In Morphine Analgesia, Dayna R. Loyd, Xioaya Wang, Anne Z. Murphy Phd

Neuroscience Institute Faculty Publications

Opioid-based narcotics are the most widely prescribed therapeutic agent for the alleviation of persistent pain; however, it is becoming increasingly clear that morphine is significantly less potent in women compared with men. Morphine primarily binds to mu-opioid receptors (MORs), and the periaqueductal gray (PAG) contains a dense population of MOR-expressing neurons. Via its descending projections to the rostral ventromedial medulla and the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, the PAG is considered an essential neural substrate for opioid-based analgesia. We hypothesized that MOR expression in the PAG was sexually dimorphic, and that these sex differences contribute to the observed sex …

Mechanisms For Methylmercury Cell-To-Bath Transport By The Basolateral Membrane Of The Rabbit Proximal Tubule, Carol Ann Hoban

Biology Dissertations

The bath-to-cell transport, cytosolic concentration, and tubular content of methylmercury (Me203Hg+) and the sulfhydryl-amino acids and sulfhydryl-amino acid derivatives conjugated to Me203Hg+ were studied in the non-perfused S2 segments of the proximal tubule of the rabbit kidney. Active transport of Me203Hg+ was established by a temperature dependent (greater than 100% reduction in bath-to-cell transport, 99% decrease in cytosolic concentration, 63% decline in the tubular contents at 12°C when compared to 37°C). Conjugates of Me203Hg+ showed mixed results, with L-cysteine and L-taurine demonstrating the most significant increase in uptake. Transport of Me203Hg+-L-cysteine was also temperature dependent with a 77% reduction in …

The Role Cranberry Proanthocyanidins Play In The Primary Attachment Of Bacteria To Surfaces: Bacillus Cereus Model, Anthony Robert Jones

Biology Dissertations

The development of a proanthocyanidin (PAC) treatment, along with the understanding of its mechanism of action, would provide an alternative method of preventing attachment to and colonization of surfaces by microorganisms, as well as potentially disrupting preexisting biofilms. The purpose of this research is to examine the role a cranberry proanthocyanidin plays in the primary attachment of Bacillus cereus to an abiotic surface. This technology could be employed in food processing plants where a premium is placed on maintaining a sanitized work environment to prevent product contamination. A biofilm assay showed that a surface treated with proanthocyanidins actually promoted rather …

The Effect Of S-Triazines And Nitrobenzene On The Degradation Of Toluene And Napthalene In Solid Phase Systems, Samandra Demons

Biology Dissertations

Nitrogen is known to be a limiting factor in polluted environments, however many studies overlook the potential role for nitrogen to significantly influence the removal rate and efficiency with which microorganisms can degrade aromatic hydrocarbons. In this study, inoculated and uninoculated aerated soil microcosms containing different s-triazines were examined for their ability to efficiently and rapidly treat contaminated soils containing naphthalene, nitrobenzene, and toluene (NNT), via a microbial consortium consisting of Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, and Aeromonas. After an experimental period of 14 days, greater than 90% degradation of NNT supplemented with different s-triazines, at concentrations of 1000-3000 ppm was observed. A …

Study Of Assembly And Function Of The Drrab Complex, Prajakta A. Pradhan

Biology Dissertations

The DrrAB proteins of Streptomyces peucetius belong to the ABC family of ubiquitous membrane transporters. The DrrA and DrrB proteins together form a drug efflux pump that carries out the transport of the anticancer drug doxorubicin by carrying out ATP hydrolysis. The present study is the first where the intrinsic factors involved in the assembly of the DrrAB functional complex have been elucidated. The drrA and drrB genes in the wild type operon have overlapping stop and start codons (ATGA) which indicates translational coupling between the two genes. On insertion of a fortuitous stop codon in DrrA it was shown …

The Effect Of Media Composition On Nitrile Hydratase Activity And Stability, And On Cell Envelope Components Of Rhodococcus Dap 96253, Trudy-Ann Marie Tucker

Biology Dissertations

Rhodococcus is an important industrial organism that possesses diverse metabolic capabilities, it also has a unique cell envelope, composed of an outer layer of mycolic acids and glycolipids (free or bound lipids generally linked to the sugar trehalose). Rhodococcus is able to transform nitriles to the corresponding amide by the enzyme Nitrile Hydratase (NHase), therefore rhodococcal cells can be utilized as biocatalysts in the detoxification of nitrile waste water or in the production of industrially important amides such as acrylamide. However, the NHase within the native cells must be stable with high activity. This research examined how NHase activity and …

Characterization Of The Structure, Function And Assembly Of The Drrab Antibiotic Efflux Pump In Streptomyces Peucetius, Divya Kishore Rao

Biology Dissertations

ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters constitute one of the largest families of transport proteins. The occurrence of multidrug resistance (MDR) in human cancer cells has been correlated with the over expression of human ABC, P-glycoprotein (Pgp). Streptomyces peucetius produces two anticancer agents, doxorubicin and daunorubicin, that belong to the anthracycline family of antibiotics. The organism is self-resistant to the potent effects of the antibiotics it produces due to the action of an efflux pump, DrrAB. Both Pgp and DrrAB carry out similar functions, but in two different cell types. An understanding of the bacterial drug transporter DrrAB is thus expected …

Comparative Study Of Hpv 16 And Hpv 18 Antibody Detection In Serum, Cervical Mucus, And Oral Mucosal Transudate, Emily Lauren Blalock

Biology Theses

Measuring HPV exposure relies on detection of HPV type-specific antibodies, but methods are not standardized. Additionally, there is little information on the best sample type for HPV antibody detection. This study validated pseudovirion neutralization (PVN) assay for HPV antibody detection and compared it to IgG ELISA. Both assays were applied to paired serum and cervical mucus samples. Additionally, PVN assay was utilized to evaluate the feasibility of oral mucosal transudate (OMT) samples to monitor the HPV immune response. Serum was more likely to be positive on PVN assay than on IgG ELISA (p= 0.025). Both assays correlated with HPV-16 DNA …

Signaling Mechanisms Regulating Neuronal Growth Cone Dynamics, Karine Tornieri

Biology Dissertations

During the development of the nervous system, neurons migrate to their final location and extend neurites that navigate long distances in the extracellular environment to reach their synaptic targets. The proper functioning of the nervous system depends on correct connectivity, and mistakes in the wiring of the nervous system lead to brain abnormalities and mental illness. Growth cones are motile structures located at the tip of extending neurites that sense and respond to guidance cues encountered along the path toward their targets. Binding of these cues to receptors located on growth cone filopodia and lamellipodia triggers intracellular signaling pathways that …

Role Of Map Kinase In Fusarium Association With Contact Lenses, Brook Alicia Danboise

Biology Dissertations

Fusarium solani is a soil-borne pathogen devastating agricultural crops throughout the world. While most pathogens are host specific, the fusaria are able to infect both plants and animals. In 2004, an outbreak of Fusarium occurred in association with contact lens wear. Several species of Fusarium were involved but F. solani and F. oxysporum were most prominent. In this work, we have identified a MAP kinase (MAPK), highly similar to fmk1 in F. oxysporum, belonging to the YERK1 subfamily of extracellular regulated kinases. Directed disruption of fmk1 in F. solani AFR4 (FSSC 1) affected several aspects of fungal growth and pathogenicity. …

The Role Of Chemical Senses In Predation, Risk Assessment, And Social Behavior Of Spiny Lobsters, Shkelzen Shabani

Biology Dissertations

Chemical senses play a critical role in predator-prey and social interactions of many animals. Predators often evoke adaptive escape responses by prey, one of which is the release of chemicals that induce adaptive avoidance behaviors from both predators and conspecifics. I explore the use of chemicals in predator-prey and social interactions, using a crustacean model system, the spiny lobster. As predators, spiny lobsters are opportunistic, polyphagous feeders, and they rely heavily on their chemical senses during feeding. Some of their potential prey deter attacks through chemical defenses that act through the spiny lobsters’ chemical senses. An example of this is …

The Impact Of Neonatal Inflammatory Insult On Adult Somatosensory Processing: The Role Of The Descending Nociceptive Circuit, Jamie L. Laprairie

Biology Dissertations

The neonatal period represents a critical window of increased neurodevelopmental plasticity in the immature nervous system. Unlike other sensory modalities, which require appropriate stimulation for proper development, maturation of nociceptive circuitry in neonates typically occurs in the absence of noxious stimulation. Premature infants, however, are routinely exposed to multiple invasive medical procedures during neonatal intensive care treatment, which are largely performed in the absence of anesthetics or analgesics. To date, it is largely unknown how exposure to early noxious insult during this time of increased plasticity alters the development of the CNS and influences future nociceptive responses. As previous studies …

Development And Plasticity Of The Retinocollicular Projection, Maria Magdalena Carrasco

Biology Dissertations

Brain development and function depend on intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In particular, the proper functioning of sensory systems can be altered according to the quality of extrinsic sensory information received during life. In this context, questions concerning neuroplasticity take on special relevance when considering that sensory experience has a big impact on the degree of plasticity of the brain. In this thesis, we have sought to understand how visual deprivation affects the development and maintenance of visual centers in the brain and the role of visual deprivation on plasticity throughout life. We have addressed this question by studying the retinocollicular …

Effect Of A Repeated Bout Of Eccentrically-Biased Contractions On Insulin Resistance, Michael Stephen Green

Kinesiology Dissertations

This study determined if insulin resistance (IR), induced by an acute bout of eccentrically-biased contractions that resulted in muscle injury, was attenuated following a repeated bout of contractions. Female subjects (n = 10, age 24.7 ± 3.0 yr, weight 64.9 ± 7.4 kg, height 1.67 ± 0.02 m, body fat 29.1 ± 1.9 %) performed two 30 minute bouts of downhill treadmill running (DTR 1 and DTR 2, -12 % grade, 8.0 mph) separated by 14 days. Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were administered at baseline and 48 hours following DTR 1 and DTR 2, with IR assessed by calculation …

Proteomic Analysis Of The Response Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Pao1 To The Cell To Cell Signaling Molecule Trans, Trans-Farnesol Of Candida Albicans, Shelby L. Jones-Dozier

Biology Dissertations

Nosocomial infections associated with implanted medical- devices are on the rise due to a growing immunocompromised patient population. The organisms of interest in this study are Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. These organisms are opportunistic pathogens and are frequently implicated as the cause of infection and colonization of medical devices. P. aeruginosa is a motile gram-negative bacterium that is able to suppress the growth of C. albicans. Quourm sensing mimicry and biofilm formation on the hyphal surface of C. albicans by P. aeruginosa aids in suppression. C. albicans is a dimorphic fungus capable of quorum sensing with E,E-farnesol and is …

The Production Of Designed Potential Protein Contrast Agents And Their Encapsulation In Albumin Microspheres, Julian A. Johnson

Biology Theses

Using protein design, a series of metal binding proteins have been designed, allowing the local factors that contribute to metal affinity and thermostability to be studied. Those proteins with the highest metal binding affinities had the lowest apo-form Tm and the largest ÄTm upon metal binding. In this thesis, major steps have been taken toward applying the engineered protein to MR imaging. The progress of magnetic resonance imaging is hindered by low specificity and rapid elimination of FDA-approved MRI contrast agents. The engineered protein contrast agent has been conjugated to a cancer-specific targeting peptide and encapsulated in albumin microspheres to …

Regulation Of Connexin40 Gap Junctions, Thomas Vinaya Sheela

Biology Dissertations

Gap junctions provide direct electrical and biochemical communication between cardiomyocytes in the heart. Connexin40 (Cx40) is the major connexin in the atria of the heart and little is known regarding its regulation. Thus, the goal was to investigate the regulation of Cx40 in both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The first objective of this thesis was to determine whether Cx40 gap junctions were regulated by â-adrenergic receptor activation. Cx40 has previously been shown to be acutely activated by cAMP, this cAMP-induced increase in Cx40-mediated cell-to-cell dye transfer has been shown to be effected through the â-adrenergic receptor-adenylyl cyclase- Protein Kinase A …

Serum Lipid Responses To Psyllium Fiber: Differences Between Pre- And Post-Menopausal, Hypercholesterolemic Women, Vijay Ganji, Jennifer Kuo

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women and men. Psyllium, a soluble fiber has been known to reduce serum lipids. In this pilot study, we evaluated whether menopausal status would affect the serum lipid responses to psyllium fiber in women.

Methods: Eleven post-menopausal and eight pre-menopausal women with serum total cholesterol >200 mg/dL were included in the study. Subjects consumed their habitual diet and 15 g psyllium/d for 6 weeks. Psyllium was incorporated into cookies. Each cookie contained ≈5 g of psyllium fiber. Subjects ate one cookie in each meal.

Results: With psyllium fiber, total cholesterol …

Production Of B Virus Glycoprotein D And Evaluation Of Its Diagnostic Potential, Chadi N. Filfili

Biology Theses

B virus diagnosis presents a challenge largely complicated by the asymptomatic infection of rhesus macaques, and extremely pathogenic fatal infections in humans. Humoral detection of antibodies is generally performed using whole virus antigen for which preparation requires strict biosafety measures and specialized BSL-4 facilities. As an alternative to utilizing B virus antigen, we describe the production of a truncated form of B virus envelope glycoprotein D, gD 287, in a baculovirus expression system, and evaluate its diagnostic potential as an antigen in recombinant ELISA. After purification and characterization, gD 287 was tested using 22 negative and 72 positive macaque sera …

Interpretation And Prediction Of Structural And Energetic Factors Controlling Abc Transporters, Xianfeng Chen

Biology Dissertations

ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters are trans-membrane proteins that exist in all phyla. Mutations in this family of proteins can cause inherited diseases like Cystic Fibrosis. ABC transporters consist of dimers of nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) and transmembrane domains (TMDs). NBDs regulate ABC transporters by binding to and hydrolyzing ATP. Although NBD-ATP interactions, NBD-TMD interactions and NBD-water interactions are known to be crucial to the function of these proteins, it is still not clear what structural and energetic factors are involved in the NBD-NTP interactions, how NBD and TMD interact with each other, how water is involved in the functions …

Bartonella Bacilliformis: Understanding The Underlying Causes Of Verruga Peruana Formation During Carrion?S Disease, Drew Eric Kohlhorst

Biology Dissertations

Bartonella, a group of Gram negative facultative intracellular bacteria, are known to cause diseases, such as Cat Scratch Disease, Trench Fever and Carrion’s Disease, that involve angiogenesis during the infective cycle. B. bacilliformis, the etiological agent of Carrion’s Disease, causes a bi-phasic infection resulting in the formation of blood-filled angiogenic proliferative cutaneous nodules called verruga peruana. The work presented here was undertaken to characterize the mechanism by which these nodules are produced. Previous work in our laboratory suggested that the Bartonella henselae genome contains a homologue to the virB operon, a set of genes coding for a Type IV Secretion …

The C-Phycocyanin/Beta Protein Inhibits Cancer Cell Proliferation, Haizhen Wang

Biology Theses

C-Phycocyanin (C-PC) from blue-green algae has been reported to have various pharmacological characteristics, including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. In this study, the beta-subunit of C-PC (ref to as C-PC/beta) was expressed and purified from bacteria E. coli BL-21. The recombinant C-PC/beta has been demonstrated to have anticancer properties. Under the treatment of 5 microM of the recombinant C-PC/beta, four different cancer cell lines accrued a high proliferation inhibition and apoptotic induction. The C-PC/beta interacts with membrane-associated beta-tubulin and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) has been found. Under the treatment of the C-PC/beta, depolymerization of microtubulin and actin-filament was observed. The cells underwent …

Monoaminergic Receptors In The Stomatogastric Nervous System: Characterization And Localization In Panulirus Interruptus, Merry Christine Clark

Biology Dissertations

Neural circuit flexibility is fundamental to the production of adaptable behaviors. Invertebrate models offer relatively simple networks consisting of large, identifiable neurons that are useful for investigating the electrophysiological properties that contribute to circuit output. In particular, central pattern generating circuits within the crustacean stomatogastric nervous system have been well characterized with regard to their synaptic connectivities, cellular properties, and response to modulatory influences. Monoaminergic modulation is essential for the production of adaptable circuit output in most species. Monoamines, such as dopamine and serotonin, signal via metabotropic receptors, which activate intracellular signaling cascades. Many of the neuronal and network targets …

Mapping And Filling Metabolic Pathway Holes, Dipendra Kaur

Biology Theses

The network-mapping tool integrated with protein database search can be used for filling pathway holes. A metabolic pathway under consideration (pattern) is mapped into a known metabolic pathway (text), to find pathway holes. Enzymes that do not show up in the pattern may be a hole in the pattern pathway or an indication of alternative pattern pathway. We present a data-mining framework for filling holes in the pattern metabolic pathway based on protein function, prosite scan and protein sequence homology. Using this framework we suggest several fillings found with the same EC notation, with group neighbors (enzymes with same EC …

Reinforcing Efficacy Of Amphetamine In Adolescent And Adult Male Rats, Lauren Chantel Payne

Biology Theses

Rationale: Amphetamine abuse by adolescents predicts long-term drug dependence. Heightened vulnerability to drug abuse could be due to higher sensitivity to drug’s reinforcing effects. Rodents are used to study age-related sensitivities to drugs. Objective: We compared intravenous amphetamine self-administration between adolescent and adult male rats on an operant schedule of reinforcement measuring the reinforcing efficacy of a drug. Methods: After surgery, adolescent and adult rats acquired lever-pressing behavior reinforced by amphetamine infusions. Results: Both age groups exhibited more infusions per session as dose increased. However, neither the number of infusions per session nor total amphetamine intake differed across age groups. …

Effect Of Social Status On The Behavior And Neurophysiology Of Crayfish, Fadi Aziz Issa

Biology Dissertations

Adaptation to changing social conditions is important for many social animals. Here, the effects of social experience on the behavior and neurophysiology of the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, were studied. Evidence is presented that shows juvenile crayfish interact and form social order, and their behavior patterns shift in accordance to social status. Dominant animals maintain a high level of aggressive behavior, while subordinates shift their behavior pattern from aggressive to submissive behavior. Adult male crayfish show similar behavior pattern during dominance formation. However, this work demonstrates that male crayfish adopt a unique strategy to signify the formation of a …

The Evolutionary And Developmental Foundations Of Mathematics, Michael J. Beran

Language Research Center

No abstract provided.

Sexually Dimorphic Activation Of The Periaqueductal Gray – Rostral Ventromedial Medullary Circuit During The Development Of Morphine Tolerance In The Rat, Dayna R. Loyd, Michael M. Morgan, Anne Z. Murphy Phd

Neuroscience Institute Faculty Publications

Previous studies have shown that tolerance develops to a greater degree in male compared to female rats. The midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG), and its descending projections to the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), provides an essential neural circuit for the antinociceptive effects of opiates and has been implicated in the development of tolerance to morphine. We have previously reported that systemic morphine administration activates a greater proportion of PAG-RVM neurons in male versus female rats; our hypothesis is that if the PAG-RVM pathway is essential for the development of morphine tolerance, then (1) morphine activation of the PAG-RVM pathway should decline …

Nucleus Paragigantocellularis Afferents In Male And Female Rats: Organization, Gonadal Steroid Receptor Expression, And Activation During Sexual Behavior, Joseph J. Normandin, Anne Z. Murphy Phd

Neuroscience Institute Faculty Publications

The supraspinal regulation of genital reflexes is poorly understood. The brainstem nucleus paragigantocellularis (nPGi) of rats is a well-established source of tonic inhibition of genital reflexes. However, the organization, gonadal steroid receptor expression, and activity of nPGi afferents during sex have not been fully characterized in male and female rats. To delineate the anatomical and physiological organization of nPGi afferents, the retrograde tracer Fluoro-Gold (FG) was injected into the nPGi of sexually experienced male and female rats. Animals engaged in sexual behavior 1 hour before sacrifice. Cells containing FG, estrogen receptor-α (ER_α), androgen receptor (AR), and the immediate-early …