Life Sciences Commons^™

Health Effects Of Neonicotinoids On An Agricultural Community, Jocelyn Rodriguez-Paar

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Mead, Nebraska, a small United States agricultural community consisting of approximately 600 people, was accidentally exposed to high amounts of neonicotinoids when AltEn, an ethanol plant that used neonicotinoid coated corn and soybean seeds for biofuel, was discovered not disposing of the toxic byproduct safely. Coincidentally, there was also a leak in their wastewater system that also contaminated the nearby areas. Although neonicotinoids are not considered highly dangerous with low dose exposures, large dose exposures can cause symptoms similarly to nicotine poisonings, such as difficulty breathing, vomiting, nausea, hypertension, tachycardia, and lethargy (Imamura, T. et al., 2010). Neonicotinoid poisoning can …

Dynamic Soil Properties In The Lower Rio Grande Valley: Understanding Responses Of Infiltration Rate, Bulk Density, Aggregate Stability To Different Tillage Practices, Temiloluwa Faith Awotoye

Theses and Dissertations

Dynamic Soil Properties (DSPs) are soil properties that change in response to both natural and human-caused interruptions and pressures such as agro-based and wildland management. These soil properties can transform for months or even years in response to the farm use and management procedures. This research project investigates the relationship between different dynamic soil physical properties and tillage practices in the Texas Hidalgo sandy clay loam benchmark soil series. Data analyses was done to compare the effect of tillage to these soil physical properties and build a discussion about relationships between on-farm practices to other aspects of farm viability. We …

The Molecular Evolution Of Insect Opsin Genes, Maria Jose Cardenas Muedano

Theses and Dissertations

Opsins are part of the superfamily of G-coupled receptor proteins and together with chromophores, are responsible for initiating the signal transduction cascade responsible for animal vision. Since opsins have a critical role on visual perception these genes are crucial for a myriad of adaptive traits and behaviors and should show diverse signs of natural selection at the molecular level. Understanding the evolution of opsins across the wide diversity of insect groups will allow us to better understand the evolutionary pressure on insect opsins and serve as a model for both other gene systems and other taxonomic groups of animals that …

An Assessment Of Physical And Microbial Dynamic Properties Sensitive To Tillage Practices In Hidalgo Sandy Clay Loam Soils, Rocio N. Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Mechanized tillage is known to impact the dynamic physical, biological and chemical properties of a given soil, and as a result, can cause systematic harm to the soil’s function (Alam et al., 2014). The aim of this study is to assess how a series of land management tillage practices will impact dynamic physical and biological soil health parameters such as aggregation, carbon, respiration, and enzymatic activity (β-glucosidase). According to Acir et al (2020), the aforementioned soil parameters are both co-influenced and dependent, indicating a response to tillage is likely. A total of 198 samples of Hidalgo series soils were collected …

Effects Of Roundup Exposure On Redox Status, Cellular Apoptosis, And Antioxidant And Osmoregulatory Enzyme Expressions In Goldfish (Carassius Auratus), Md Imran Noor

Theses and Dissertations

Intense anthropogenic activities of industrialized nations dramatically increase environmental pollution. This study focused on the effects of Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, exposure (low- and high-dose: 0.5 and 5 mg/L for 2 weeks) on dinitrophenyl protein (DNP), nitrotyrosine protein (NTP), superoxidase dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), Na+ /K+ - ATPase (NKA), and renin expressions, and cellular apoptosis in the gills and kidneys of goldfish. Histopathological analysis showed widespread tissue damage in both gills and kidneys. Immunohistochemical analysis provided insights into the expression of molecular biomarkers in tissues. Fish exposed to Roundup exhibited a significant (P<0.05) upregulation in DNP, NTP, SOD, and CAT expressions, and apoptotic nuclei in both tissues. Additionally, exposure to Roundup significantly increased renin expression in kidneys and decreased NKA expression in gills. Overall, our results suggest that exposure to Roundup induces oxidative/nitrative stress and cellular apoptosis and alters osmoregulatory and antioxidant systems which may lead to impaired physiological functions in goldfish.

Foxo Factors Regulate The Expression Of Canonical Wnt Target Genes In A Set Of Basal-Like Breast And Glioblastoma Multiforme Cancer Cell Lines, Shania Pintor

Theses and Dissertations

Basal-like breast cancer (BBC) and Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) each express stem gene expression signatures which are partly driven by FOXO transcription factors. Preliminary data from Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) with RNA Seq. data indicated that a set of WNT target genes including LEF1, and TCF7 were robustly induced after 48-hours of AS1842856 (FOXO1 inhibitor) treatment. These same genes were also induced in GBM cell lines U87MG, LN18, LN229, A172, and DBTRG upon treatment with AS1842856. In contrast to FOXO1 inhibition, RNAi targeting of FOXO1, led to reduced LEF1, and TCF7 gene expression in BT549 and U87MG …

Influence Of Glucose And Lactic Acid On Macrophage Transition In Pancreatic Tumors, Anyssa A. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic cancer is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. According to the American Cancer Society, it is the eleventh most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) comprises 90% of all pancreatic malignancies and is associated with poor clinical outcome because of late diagnosis and resistance to therapy. In addition, studies show that the tumor microenvironment has become an emerging interest in cancer research due to its complex components and unique characteristics that aid in cancer initiation, maintenance, and progression. Accumulating evidence signifies that tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) play …

Weather Parameters Influencing The Incidence Of Citrus Canker Caused By Aw Strain In The Rio Grande Valley, Amit Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

Citrus canker caused by bacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) seriously affects the citrus industry by making the fruit unmarketable due to unsightly lesions on the fruit. Canker caused by Aw strain of Xcc was reported in the citrus trees located in the residential areas of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). Canker severity differs amongst cultivars/varieties, and it is influenced by prevailing environmental conditions. Multiple regression modeling of the disease incidence with the environmental variables such as temperature, humidity, windspeed, wind gust, and rainfall was performed to understand the environmental conditions that are favorable for spread of citrus …

Effects Of Disturbance (Mowing) On Florivory And Floral Defenses In Solanum Elaeagnifolium, A Noxious And Worldwide Invasive Weed, Alejandro Rafael Vasquez Marcano

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: Literature Review- In this literature review we have examined weed management as it concerns urban and agricultural ecosystems, as well as the need for mowing assessments as it relates to floral traits and defense against herbivory.

Chapter 2: Experiments- In the experiments we examined the role of mowing on floral growth traits, floral defense traits, and their effect on Manduca sexta specialist herbivores.

Chapter 3: Results- In the results we found SLN flowers to have larger diameters than unmowed flowers; however, flower mass was in line with our predictions as unmowed flowers were heavier in high mowing frequency …

A Review Of The Vector Status Of North American Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) For Bluetongue Virus, Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, And Other Arboviruses Of Concern, Bethany L. Mcgregor, Phillip T. Shults, Emily G. Mcdermott

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose of Review

Culicoides biting midges transmit several pathogens of veterinary importance in North America, but the vector status of many midge species is unresolved. Additionally, the available evidence of vector competence in these species is scattered and variable. The purpose of this review is to summarize current knowledge on confirmed and putative North American Culicoides arbovirus vectors.

Recent Findings

While the vector status of Culicoides sonorensis (EHDV, BTV, VSV) and Culicoides insignis (BTV) are well established, several other potential vector species have been recently identified. Frequently, these species are implicated based primarily on host-feeding, abundance, and/or detection of arboviruses …

Effect Of Umbilical Cord Essential And Toxic Elements, Thyroid Levels, And Vitamin D On Childhood Development, Jesse Cottrell, Chelsea Nelson, Catherine Waldron, Mackenzie Bergeron, Abigail Samson, Monica Valentovic

Biomedical Sciences

Introduction: The in-utero environment has dramatic effects on childhood development. We hypothesized prenatal levels of inorganic agents, thyroid levels, and Vitamin D effect childhood development.

Methods: Umbilical cord blood was collected from April 3, 2013 to January 30, 2014 and analyzed for 20 different elements, thyroid and Vitamin D. A retrospective review (n = 60) was performed of well-child examinations from birth to 5 years old (y.o.).

Results: There were associations with calcium and 4 month BMI (p = <0.01), 12 month language (p = 0.03); Magnesium and 6 month language (p = 0.04) and gross motor skills at 5 years old (y.o.) (p = 0.03); Copper and 12 month fine motor (p = 0.02); Zinc with fine motor (p = <0.01) and language (p = 0.03) at 2 y.o.; Manganese was associated with language development at 2 y.o. (p = 0.02); Molybdenum and fine motor at 12 months of age (p = 0.02); Selenium with gross motor (p = 0.04) and BMI (p = 0.02) at 5 y.o.; Lead with cognitive function at 4 months (p = 0.04) and 2 y.o. (p = 0.01); Mercury with gross motor at 4 months (p = 0.04) and language at 2 y.o. (p = 0.02). Platinum at 12 months of age (p = <.01) as well as multiple associations at 5 y.o. (p = <.01). Thyroid function tests for free T3 were associated with multiple cognitive and physical milestones. T3 Uptake was associated with 5 y.o. gross motor skills (p = 0.02). Total and Free T4 was associated with cognitive development (p = <.01) and fine motor development, respectively. Vitamin D was associated with a delay of fine motor development (p<0.01).

Conclusion: There were multiple associations between umbilical cord essential and toxic elements, thyroid levels, and Vitamin D on childhood development.

Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel Dependent Mechanisms Of Cardiovascular Adaptation To Chronic Exercise., Sean Raph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exercise increases cardiac workload, escalating the demand for oxygen. The myocardial vasculature responds to the greater demand for oxygen by increasing blood flow to match the needs of the heart during augmented work. Increasing blood flow requires the coronary arteries dilate (a.k.a. vasodilation); this is mediated predominantly by vascular smooth muscle cell relaxation. Vasodilation is driven through inhibition of calcium influx into vascular smooth muscle cells. The prevention of calcium influx is largely mediated by efflux of potassium via potassium channels causing membrane hyperpolarization, which in turn closes voltage-dependent (or gated) calcium channels (VDCC). Changes in vascular smooth muscle cell …

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2022, David J. Lauten, Kathleen A. Castelein, Daniel Farrar, Mary Lee, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

We monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) along the central and south coast of Oregon from 1 April – 15 September 2022. We surveyed and monitored plover activity in a project area that included, from north to south, Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Snowy Plover Management Area, New River Habitat Restoration Area (HRA) and adjacent lands, and Floras Lake. Our objectives for the project area in 2022 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy …

Potential Use Of Engineered Nanoparticles In Ocean Fertilization For Large-Scale Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Removal, Peyman Babakhani, Tanapon Phenrat, Mohammed Baalousha M.Sc, Ph.D., Kullapa Soratana, Caroline L. Peacock, Benjamin S. Twining, Michael F. Hochella Jr.

Faculty Publications

Artificial ocean fertilization (AOF) aims to safely stimulate phytoplankton growth in the ocean and enhance carbon sequestration. AOF carbon sequestration efficiency appears lower than natural ocean fertilization processes due mainly to the low bioavailability of added nutrients, along with low export rates of AOF-produced biomass to the deep ocean. Here we explore the potential application of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) to overcome these issues. Data from 123 studies show that some ENPs may enhance phytoplankton growth at concentrations below those likely to be toxic in marine ecosystems. ENPs may also increase bloom lifetime, boost phytoplankton aggregation and carbon export, and address …

Subchronic Oral Cylindrospermopsin Exposure Alters The Host Gut Microbiome And Is Associated With Progressive Hepatic Inflammation, Stellate Cell Activation, And Mild Fibrosis In A Preclinical Study, Punnag Saha, Macayla Upright, Dipro Bose, Subhajit Roy, Ayushi Trivedi, Madhura More, Geoff Scott Ph.D., Bryan W. Brooks, Saurabh Chatterjee

Faculty Publications

Epidemiological studies have reported a strong association between liver injury and incidences of hepatocellular carcinoma in sections of humans globally. Several preclinical studies have shown a strong link between cyanotoxin exposure and the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a precursor of hepatocellular carcinoma. Among the emerging threats from cyanotoxins, new evidence shows cylindrospermopsin release in freshwater lakes. A known hepatotoxin in higher concentrations, we examined the possible role of cylindrospermopsin in causing host gut dysbiosis and its association with liver pathology in a mouse model of toxico-pharmacokinetics and hepatic pathology. The results showed that oral exposure to cylindrospermopsin caused decreased diversity …

Tvir: A Comprehensive Vegetable Information Resource Database For Comparative And Functional Genomic Studies, Tong Yu, Xiao Ma, Zhuo Liu, Xuehuan Feng, Zhiyuan Wang, Jun Ren, Rui Cao, Yingchao Zhang, Fulei Nie, Xiaoming Song

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Vegetables are an indispensable part of the daily diet of humans. Therefore, it is vital to systematically study the genomic data of vegetables and build a platform for data sharing and analysis. In this study, a comprehensive platform for vegetables with a user-friendly Web interface—The Vegetable Information Resource (TVIR, http://tvir.bio2db.com)—was built based on the genomes of 59 vegetables. TVIR database contains numerous important functional genes, including 5215 auxin genes, 2437 anthocyanin genes, 15 002 flowering genes, 79 830 resistance genes, and 2639 glucosinolate genes of 59 vegetables. In addition, 2597 N6-methyladenosine (m6A) genes were identified, including 513 writers, 1058 erasers, …

Serologic Surveillance For Sars-Cov-2 Infection Among Wild Rodents, Europe, Vincent Bourret, Lara Dutra, Hussein Alburkat, Sanna Mäki, Ella Lintunen, Marine Wasniewski, Ravi Kant, Maciej Grzybek, Vinaya Venkat, Hayder Asad, Julien Pradel, Marie Bouilloud, Herwig Leirs, Valeria Carolina Colombo, Vincent Sluydts, Peter Stuart, Andrew Mcmanus, Jana A. Eccard, Jasmin Firozpoor, Christian Imholt, Joanna Nowicka, Aleksander Goll, Nathan Ranc, Guillaume Castel, Nathalie Charbonnel, Tarja Sironen

Publications

We report results from serologic surveillance for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 among 1,237 wild rodents and small mammals across Europe. All samples were negative, with the possible exception of 1. Despite suspected potential for human-to-rodent spillover, no evidence of widespread SARS-CoV-2 circulation in rodent populations has been reported to date.

Esitämme tulokset serologisesta tutkimuksesta, jossa seulottiin SARS-CoV-2 tartuntojen varalta 1,237 luonnonvaraista jyrsijää ja piennisäkästä eri puolilta Eurooppaa. Kaikki näytteet olivat negatiivisia, yhtä näytettä lukuun ottamatta. SARS-CoV-2:n läikkymisen ihmisistä jyrsijöihin on arveltu olevan mahdollista, mutta todisteet viruksen laajamittaisesta leviämisestä jyrsijäpopulaatioissa puuttuvat.

Dietary Protein Intakes, Distribution Patterns, And Quality In Ncaa Divsion 1 Soccer Players, Jun H. Kwon

Master's Theses

Dietary protein is required to support recovery and adaptation following exercise training. While prior research demonstrates that many athletes meet total daily protein needs, intake seems to be predominantly skewed toward the evening meal. An even distribution of protein doses throughout the course of a day is theorized to confer greater skeletal muscle anabolism compared to a skewed pattern of intake. Protein quality is also an important dietary consideration for athletes, with the amino acid leucine being the primary driver of the postprandial anabolic response. The present thesis investigates the protein consumption characteristics among a selected cohort of NCAA Division …

Detection Methods, Occupancy Rates, Management And Conservation For Rodents, Jaran Hopkins

Master's Theses

Chapter 1. Species’ occurrences are dependent on a variety of habitat characteristics, including physical landscape factors and anthropogenic land use and change. Understanding the influence of habitat attributes on species occurrence is essential to successful wildlife and habitat management, specifically in areas with active human use. We tested the influence of vegetation alliance, fragmentation, and human recreation in the form of off-highway vehicles (OHV) in an area of active land management in coastal California, with a focus on the occurrences of six small mammal species. The area is composed of sand dunes subject to natural habitat fragmentation. OHV recreation occurs …

Recombinant Simian Varicella Virus-Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Vaccine Induces T And B Cell Functions And Provides Partial Protection Against Repeated Mucosal Siv Challenges In Rhesus Macaques, Bapi Pahar, Wayne Gray, Marissa Fahlberg, Brooke Grasperge, Meredith Hunter, Arpita Das, Christopher Mabee, Pyone Pyone Aye, Faith Schiro, Krystle Hensley, Aneeka Ratnayake, Kelly Goff, Celia Labranche, Xiaoying Shen, Georgia D. Tomaras, C. Todd Demarco, David Montefiori, Patricia Kissinger, Preston A. Marx

Faculty and Student Publications

HIV vaccine mediated efficacy, using an expanded live attenuated recombinant varicella virus-vectored SIV rSVV-SIVgag/env vaccine prime with adjuvanted SIV-Env and SIV-Gag protein boosts, was evaluated in a female rhesus macaques (RM) model against repeated intravaginal SIV challenges. Vaccination induced anti-SIV IgG responses and neutralizing antibodies were found in all vaccinated RMs. Three of the eight vaccinated RM remained uninfected (vaccinated and protected, VP) after 13 repeated challenges with the pathogenic SIVmac251-CX-1. The remaining five vaccinated and infected (VI) macaques had significantly reduced plasma viral loads compared with the infected controls (IC). A significant increase in systemic central memory CD4+ T …

Traditional And Virtual Hypertension Self-Management Health Education Program Delivered Through Cooperative Extension, Michelle Parisi, Ellie Lane, Cheryl J. Dye, Rhonda Matthews, Danielle Mcfall, Ethan Bain, Windsor W. Sherrill

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Fewer than 25% of individuals in the United States with hypertension have controlled blood pressure (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Hypertension Management Program (HMP) adopted the Health Coaches for Hypertension Control^© (HCHC^©) curriculum and adapted it for delivery by Extension agents. Eight lessons with intermittent health coaching calls were delivered. Pre/post-participation surveys determined changes in knowledge and self-reported weight, systolic (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The pandemic forced a shift in methodology from in-person to virtual delivery, and results were compared. In both traditional and virtual programs, significant differences were found in weight, knowledge …

Full Issue, Volume 10, Number 3, Donna J. Peterson, Scott Cummings

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

No abstract provided.

Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity Is Mediated By Neutrophils Through Release Of Neutrophil Elastase, Anchit Bhagat

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Doxorubicin (Dox) is one of the most effective chemotherapy agents that is used for the treatment of childhood cancer. Unfortunately Dox treatment can cause damage to the heart. Indeed, childhood cancer survivors are at a higher risk of developing a cardiovascular disease at an earlier age. The mechanisms by which Dox causes acute and late cardiotoxicity are not completely understood. One understudied area in Dox-induced cardiotoxicity is the contribution of inflammation and innate immune cells, in particular neutrophils. Recognizing that neutrophils have been implicated in a number of heart diseases, we evaluated the role of neutrophils in Dox-induced cardiotoxicity. Here, …

Inactivation Kinetics Of Bacillus Atrophaeus In Liquid Hydrogen Peroxide For Aseptic Package Sterilization, Manoj Sawale, Xiang Cheng, Rishi Drolia, Patnarin Benyathiar, Ferhan Ozadali, Arun Bhunia, Dharmendra Mishra

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Liquid hydrogen peroxide is used as a common sterilant for the aseptic packaging materials. Based on the Food Safety Objective (FSO) for specific products, a surrogate organism, Bacillus atrophaeus, is used to validate the sterilization processes. This study aims to develop a methodology for the kinetic inactivation parameter estimation of B. atrophaeus. Spores of B. atrophaeus were challenged with various peroxide concentrations (20%, 28%, and 33%; v/v) and temperatures such as 23, 55, 71.1, and 82.2 °C. The log-linear and Weibull models were used for the inactivation models for liquid peroxide at different temperatures. The parameters …

The Impact Of Pharmacogenetics On Oral Fluid Steady State Drug Testing Results, Aliya D. Lewis

Student Theses

Pharmacogenetics refers to the relationship between phenotypic variation in metabolism and response to certain drugs. The interface of pharmacogenetics and forensic toxicology is not well explored. A major component of the opioid metabolic pathway has to do with a family of cytochromes called cytochrome P450 (CYP450). CYP450 refers to a general family of enzymes capable of catalyzing the oxidative biotransformation of lipophilic substances, CYPs are further categorized into families and sub-families (Roller, 2015; Zanger & Schwab, 2013). The gene CYP2D6 belongs to the CYP2 family which is responsible for the biotransformation of xenobiotics. This study looked at the effect of …

Understanding And Targeting The Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment, Li Cai, Li Cai

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as anti-PD1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4, have shown impressive antitumor efficacy by improving the activity of T cells. While these inhibitors work in many patients with various cancer types, they have minimal or no effect in many more patients. Mounting evidence indicates that, besides current known immune checkpoints, other immunosuppressive components in the tumor microenvironment (TME) need to be targeted to elicit the full immune responses.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous group of immunosuppressive myeloid cells that are involved in cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. In this work, we demonstrated the essential role of MDSCs …

Redox Sensing By Yeast Hsp70 Facilitates Modulation Of Protein Quality Control And The Cytoprotective Response, Alec Santiago

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Neurodegenerative disease affects millions of Americans every year, through diagnoses such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases. One factor linked to formation of these aggregates is damage sustained to proteins by oxidative stress. Cellular protein homeostasis (proteostasis) relies on the ubiquitous Hsp70 chaperone family. Hsp70 activity has been previously shown to be modulated by modification of two key cysteines in the ATPase domain by oxidizing or thiol-modifying compounds. To investigate the biological consequences of cysteine modification on the Hsp70 Ssa1 in budding yeast, I generated cysteine null (cysteine to serine) and oxidomimetic (cysteine to aspartic acid) mutant variants of both …

The Adar-Mavs Pathway Is A Critical Mediator Of The Innate Immune System In Pancreatic Development And Cancer, Dhwani Rupani

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) is an RNA-binding protein that deaminates adenosine (A) to inosine (I). A-to-I editing is an important post-transcriptional mechanism to prevent recognition of endogenous RNA by MDA5, a cytosolic RNA sensor. Activation of MDA5 by viral RNA can stimulate the innate immune system. Thus, ADAR-mediated RNA editing is crucial to distinguish “self” from “non-self”. ADAR has an important role in gene regulation as A-to-I editing alters RNA processing affecting both RNA and protein abundance. Given its importance in regulating innate immunity and transcript abundance, aberrations in Adar expression are implicated in developmental deformities and carcinogenesis. …

Individual Differences In Lpp Amplitude And Theta Power Predict Cue-Induced Eating During A Cued Food Delivery Task, Kyla Gibney

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Due to individual differences in the brain’s reward system, some individuals are more vulnerable than others to maladaptive, reward-seeking behaviors, such as substance use or compulsive eating. A body of research has demonstrated that individuals who attribute higher levels of incentive salience to reward-associated cues than to pleasant images (termed “C>P group” throughout) are more vulnerable to compulsive eating than those who attribute higher incentive salience to pleasant images than reward- associated cues (P>C group). Meanwhile, a separate body of research has demonstrated that cognitive control also regulates eating by enabling top-down attentional control. This dissertation aims to …

Risk-Factor Induced Changes In The Breast Microenvironment Facilitate Inflammatory Breast Cancer Progression And Lymphovascular Invasion, Wintana Balema, Wintana Balema

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rapidly progressing, rare and highly lethal form of breast cancer. IBC is a clinical diagnosis, requiring >1/3 involvement on the affected breast and/or skin by erythema, and disease onset of < 6 months. The clinical symptoms of IBC vary in severity and presentation, these include redness, warmth, skin thickening and bruised or pink/purple discoloration appearance and skin changes such as peau d’orange. These skin symptoms are not attributed to inflammation, rather IBC is characterized by florid lymphovascular tumor emboli clogging dermal lymphatics. This leads to “classic” symptoms of breast swelling and skin edema or discoloration. To date, unique genomic drivers which differentiate IBC from non-IBC invasive breast cancers have not been identified highlighting a role for the microenvironment. Several epidemiological studies have unveiled subtype-specific risk factors associated with IBC that are known to alter the microenvironment. Obesity is an established risk factor for all subtypes of IBC. Never-breastfeeding increases risk for developing the most aggressive, triple-negative IBC. Further, never breastfeeding is associated with later clinical stage and worse outcomes. We worked to model these overlapping risk factors to understand microenvironment changes that may lead to the lymphatic change’s indicative of IBC.

First, we investigated the association of a “classic” triad of clinical IBC signs with overall survival among patients to demonstrate the most overt clinical findings of lymphatic involvement were impacting prognosis. We evaluated a triad of IBC signs, including swollen involved breast, nipple change, and diffuse skin change, using breast medical photographs from patients enrolled on a prospective IBC registry. We reported that the …