Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Relationship Between Biofilm Production And Human Respiratory Cell Attachment And Invasion By Acinetobacter Baumannii, Rachel A. Pearson

Theses and Dissertations

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic gram-negative bacterial pathogen that causes many nosocomial infections in immunocompromised individuals. Common infections include catheter-associated urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections, and bloodstream infections that often lead to septicemia. Increasing multidrug resistance (MDR) in A. baumannii warrants new approaches to understanding its virulence mechanisms and pathogenicity. As a first step in infection, A. baumannii can attach to host cells, providing a surface for the bacteria to grow and perhaps facilitating biofilm formation and subsequent tissue invasion. In this study, we evaluated antibiotic resistance and characterized biofilm formation, attachment, invasion, and surface …

The Acute Effect Of Water Intake On Glucose Regulation In Low Drinkers, Adam David Seal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous evidence suggests the hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP) may be a modifiable factor contributing to hyperglycemia. Significant differences in urine concentration and copeptin, a marker for AVP, have been observed between low and high water drinkers. Purpose: The purpose was to investigate the acute effect of adequate water intake on glucose regulation in low drinkers. Methods: 7 healthy (5 males, 2 female) low drinkers were recruited using a water frequency questionnaire (WFQ), spot and 24-h urine sample (age 43±6 y, BMI 30.9±3, WFQ volume 823±403 mL∙d-1, 24 h Uosm 961±105 mmol∙kg-1, copeptin 8.17±3.05 pmol∙L-1). During two experimental protocols, participants remained …

Methods To Evaluate Ruminant Animal Production Responses, Jose Manuel Diaz Gomez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In experiment 1, 80 steers (197.0 kg initial body weight; BW for fall, 116.9 kg for spring), were stocked at 2.45 and 4.1 calves/ha in fall and spring, respectively in 16 tall fescue pastures [fall ergovaline (EV) = 1,475 ppb and spring EV = 1,173 ppb] under 2 treatments, mineral (MIN) (n = 8) and cumulative management (CM) (n = 8). Forage allowance did not differ (P = 0.76) between CM and MIN during fall but differed during spring (P ≤ 0.05, 2.55 vs. 3.22 kg DM/kg BW, for MIN and CM, respectively). For fall, average daily gain (ADG) resulted …

A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Factors Associated With Detection Of Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus In Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected And Uninfected Kenyan Women, Aaron Ermel, P. Tonui, M. Titus, Y. Tong, N. Wong, J. Ong’Echa, Kapten Muthoka, Stephen Kiptoo, A. Moormann, Elkanah Omenge

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Cervical cancer is caused by oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPV) and is one of the most common malignancies in women living in sub-Saharan Africa. Women infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have a higher incidence of cervical cancer, but the full impact on HPV detection is not well understood, and associations of biological and behavioral factors with oncogenic HPV detection have not been fully examined. Therefore, a study was initiated to investigate factors that are associated with oncogenic HPV detection in Kenyan women.

Methods: Women without cervical dysplasia were enrolled in a longitudinal study. Data from enrollment are presented …

Identifying The Risk Factors To Postpartum Depression, Jannica Bondoc Santos

Senior Theses

A woman’s life instantly changes after the birth of their child. Furthermore, culture influences the stigma that a mother is the primary caregiver of their children and are accountable for the health and upbringing of the child. Giving birth to a baby and taking up the responsibility of another human life is a great impact in a female’s existence. In addition to the new tasks that come with motherhood, women are also challenged to cope with their emotional and mental state after giving birth. The most chronic mental illness that can develop after labor is postpartum depression (PPD). Women who …

From Clinical Phenotype To Genotypic Modelling: Incidence And Prevalence Of Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (Rdeb), Shaundra Eichstadt, Jean Y. Tang, Daniel C. Solis, M. Peter Marinkovich, Nedra Whitehead, Fang Fang, Stephen W. Erickson, Mary E. Ritchey, Max Colao, Kaye Spratt, Amir Shaygan, Mark Ahn, Kavita Y. Sarin

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is an inherited genetic disorder characterized by recurrent and chronic open wounds with significant morbidity, impaired quality of life, and early mortality. RDEB patients demonstrate reduction or structural alteration type VII collagen (C7) owing to mutations in the gene COL7A1, the main component of anchoring fibrils (AF) necessary to maintain epidermal-dermal cohesion. While over 700 alterations in COL7A1 have been reported to cause dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB), which may be inherited in an autosomal dominant (DDEB) or autosomal recessive pattern (RDEB), the incidence and prevalence of RDEB is not well defined. To date, the …

Using The Adam Questionnaire In Primary Care To Identify Hypoandrogenism In Males Aged 40 Years Or Older, Jeremy Burns

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) has been shown to improve the symptoms of metabolic syndrome by reducing Hemoglobin A1C, belly fat, cholesterol, and blood pressure (Cunningham, 2015). The ultimate goal for testosterone-deficient patients is to have an improved quality of life by starting TRT. This quality improvement project was conducted at a small primary care clinic in South Texas. The project was started by screening 84 male patients ≥ 40 years of age using the Androgen Deficiency in Aging Males (ADAM) questionnaire. The ADAM questionnaire was considered positive for anyone who answered “yes” to 3 or more questions or “yes” to …

Optical Detection Of The Structural Properties Of Tumor Tissue Generated By Xenografting Of Drug-Sensitive And Drug-Resistant Cancer Cells Using Partial Wave Spectroscopy (Pws), Prakash A. Adhikari, Prashanth K.B. Nagesh, Fatemah Alharthi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Murali M. Yallapu, Prabhakar Pradhan

School of Medicine Publications

A mesoscopic physics-based optical imaging technique, partial wave spectroscopy (PWS), has been used for the detection of cancer by probing nanoscale structural alterations in cells/tissue. The development of drug-resistant cancer cells/tissues during chemotherapy is a major challenge in cancer treatment. In this paper, using a mouse model and PWS, the structural properties of tumor tissue grown in 3D structures by xenografting drug-resistant and drug-sensitive human prostate cancer cells having 2D structures, are studied. The results show that the 3D xenografted tissues maintain a similar hierarchy of the degree of structural disorder properties as that of the 2D original drug-sensitive and …

Intravenous Dexamethasone Along With Caudal Block Improves Analgesic Efficacy Following Day-Case Inguinal Hernia Repair In Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Amjad Nadeem, Aliya Ahmed

Department of Anaesthesia

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of intravenous dexamethasone along with caudal block in improving analgesia following inguinal hernia repair in children.
Methods: The double-blind randomised controlled trial was conducted over a 6-month period from June 01, 2016 to November 30, 2016 at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised patients aged 1-5 years, scheduled for elective inguinal hernia repair. The subjects were randomised into two groups using the sealed envelope technique. Group D patients received 0.5mg/kg dexamethasone intravenous in 5ml, and group P was given placebo (5ml 0.9% saline). Assessment of postoperative pain was made through the faces, legs, …

Identification Of The Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (Kshv) Surface Glycoprotein Targets Of Human Kshv-Specific Neutralizing Antibody Responses, Yasaman Mortazavi

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), is the etiological agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), and is also associated with two B cell malignancies, primary effusion lymphoma and multicentric Castleman's disease. The distribution of KSHV varies globally with high prevalence in some areas of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where seroprevalence can be as high as 80%. It is estimated that nearly 44,000 new cases of KS emerge annually globally, with the highest incidents occurring in Africa, where KSHV is endemic. Currently, there is no prophylactic vaccine against KSHV, and efforts to develop prophylactic vaccines have been limited. …

The Effects Of Nicotine And Cigarette Smoking On Cardiac Electrophysiology., Affan B. Irfan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of preventable disease and premature death worldwide. The adverse effects of cigarette smoking, including proarrhythmia, are related to the mixture of chemicals, including nicotine (which sustains tobacco addiction). However, it remains unclear which individual tobacco smoke constituents and biological pathways mediate this increased risk. The purpose of this research was to explore the chronic effects of cigarette smoking, as well as compare the acute effects of nicotine and cigarette smoking, and the possible role of β-adrenoreceptors, on human cardiac electrophysiology. Chapter 1 is a comprehensive literature review of (a) the ex vivo and in …

Computational Model For Pedestrian Movement And Infectious Diseases Spread During Air Travel: A Molecular Dynamics-Like Numerical Approach, Pierrot Derjany

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

There is direct evidence of the transmission of fatal infectious pathogens in large human gatherings. Air transportation is no exception. The mixing of susceptible and infectious individuals in this high-density man-made environment involves pedestrian movement which is generally not taken into account in modeling studies of disease dynamics. This thesis addresses this problem through a multiscale model that combines pedestrian dynamics with stochastic infection spread models. This generic model is applicable to several directly transmitted diseases. Through this multiscale framework, the effectiveness of certain layout and strategies in suppressing the disease spread in highly crowded locations such as airplanes, airports …

Quantitative Study Of The Antimicrobial Effects Of Silver On The Motility Of Escherichia Coli, Benjamin Russell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent decades, the number of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections has grown to become a serious global threat. This rise can be attributed to the widespread misuse of antibiotics and the lack of newly developed drugs to fight resistant organisms. Novel bactericidal substances have, therefore, garnered significant research interest. Silver, due to its powerful antimicrobial effects, is one such substance. Silver is typically most effective in cationic form; however, advancements in nanotechnology have paved the way for the controlled fabrication of nano-silver. Silver nanoparticles have been shown to have increased antibacterial potency for a variety of reasons, including the release of …

The Increase Of Hiv-1 Infection, Neurocognitive Impairment, And Type 2 Diabetes In The Rio Grande Valley, Roberto De La Garza, Hansapani Rodrigo, Francisco Fernandez, Upal Roy

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) infection remains a persistent predicament for the State of Texas, ranking seventh among the most documented HIV cases in the United States. In this regard, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) in South Texas is considered as one of the least investigated areas of the state with respect to HIV infection and HIV associated comorbidities. Considering the 115% increase in average HIV incidence rates per 100,000 within the RGV from 2007-2015, it is worth characterizing this population with respect to their HIV-1 infection, HIV-1 Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND), and the association of treatment with combined antiretroviral …

Drug Interactions With Antimalarial Medications In Older Travelers: A Clinical Guide, Jelena Lewis, Tania Gregorian, Ivan Portillo, Jeff Goad

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Increasingly older adults are traveling to international destinations with malaria as a present risk. Surveillance systems indicate that older adults are more likely to suffer severe complications from malaria. The role of health care providers in selecting an appropriate medication for chemoprophylaxis or treatment of malaria in adults becomes more difficult as older adults undergo physiologic changes that alter the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic nature of medications potentially causing increased drug interactions, adverse events, and altered drug action. A comprehensive literature search from 1970 to present, with a focus on the last 10 years, was conducted on drug interactions, pharmacokinetic and …

Autophagy Protein Nrbf2 Has Reduced Expression In Alzheimer's Brains And Modulates Memory And Amyloid-Beta Homeostasis In Mice, Veronik Lachance, Qian Wang, Eric Sweet, Insup Choi, Cui-Zan Cai, Xu-Xu Zhuang, Jessica Li Jiang, Robert D. Blitzer, Ozlem Bozdagi-Gunal, Bin Zhang, Jia-Hong Lu, Zhenyu Yue

Biology Faculty Publications

Background Dysfunctional autophagy is implicated in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) pathogenesis. The alterations in the expression of many autophagy related genes (ATGs) have been reported in AD brains; however, the disparity of the changes confounds the role of autophagy in AD. Methods To further understand the autophagy alteration in AD brains, we analyzed transcriptomic (RNAseq) datasets of several brain regions (BA10, BA22, BA36 and BA44 in 223 patients compared to 59 healthy controls) and measured the expression of 130 ATGs. We used autophagy-deficient mouse models to assess the impact of the identified ATGs depletion on memory, autophagic activity and amyloid-beta (A …

An ‘Electric,’ Inspiring Thanksgiving For The Huntington's Disease Community, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Linear Growth Faltering Among Children With Moderate-To-Severe Diarrhea In The Global Enteric Multicenter Study, Rebecca L. Brander, Patricia B. Pavlinac, Judd L. Walson, Grace C. John-Stewart, Marcia R. Weaver, Abu S. G Faruque, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Dipika Sur, Samba O. Sow, M Jahangir Hossain

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) in the first 2 years of life can impair linear growth. We sought to determine risk factors for linear growth faltering and to build a clinical prediction tool to identify children most likely to experience growth faltering following an episode of MSD.
Methods: Using data from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study of children 0-23 months old presenting with MSD in Africa and Asia, we performed log-binomial regression to determine clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with severe linear growth faltering (loss of ≥ 0.5 length-for-age z-score [LAZ]). Linear regression was used to estimate associations with ΔLAZ. A …

El Vph Y El Cáncer Cervical En El Perú: Diferencias De Accesibilidad Entre Las Mujeres De Las Zonas Rurales Y Urbanas / Hpv And Cervical Cancer In Peru: The Differences In Accessibility For Rural And Urban Women, Jemma Stratton

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Este informe examina el estado actual del tratamiento y prevención del VPH en el Perú, y pone énfasis con problemas específicas que han contribuido al riesgo alto de cáncer cervical entre las mujeres rurales. Perú ha tomado grandes pasos en las décadas últimas para establecer programas que se dirigen al VPH y la salud de las mujeres. Sin embargo, las mujeres peruanas tienen una población más probable para contraer cáncer cervical en el mundo. Este informe compara los esfuerzos de prevención del VPH entre las poblaciones rurales y urbanas en el Perú y identificar las barreras que causando esta crisis …

Budesonide Enhances Agonist-Induced Bronchodilation In Human Small Airways By Increasing Camp Production In Airway Smooth Muscle, Cynthia J. Koziol-White, Timothy B. Johnstone, Maia L. Corpuz, Gaoyuan Cao, Sarah Orfanos, Vishal Parikh, Brian Deeney, Omar Tliba, Rennolds S. Ostrom, Ian Dainty, Reynold A. Panettieri Jr.

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The non-genomic mechanisms by which glucocorticoids modulate β₂ agonist-induced-bronchodilation remain elusive. Our studies aimed to elucidate mechanisms mediating the beneficial effects of glucocorticoids on agonist-induced bronchodilation. Utilizing human precision cut lung slices (hPCLS), we measured bronchodilation to formoterol, prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), cholera toxin (CTX) or forskolin in the presence and absence of budesonide. Using cultured human airway smooth muscle (HASM), intracellular cAMP was measured in live cells following exposure to formoterol, PGE₂, or forskolin in the presence or absence of budesonide. We showed that simultaneous budesonide administration amplified formoterol-induced bronchodilation and attenuated agonist-induced phosphorylation …

‘Navigating’ The Huntington’S Disease Community Towards Crucial Clinical Trials, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Utilizing The Community-Based Research Approach To Examine Mental Health And Support Services Issues Related To Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder, Renato M. Liboro

Psychology Faculty Research

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorder is an emergent public health problem known to HIV researchers and scientists, but unfortunately, is a concern that still needs to be better recognized by people living with HIV and HIV service providers. Research studies have reported that between 30 to 50% of people living with HIV who have access to combination antiretroviral therapy are and will be affected by this disorder. This raises the need to find more appropriate research approaches for examining issues that will significantly impact people living with HIV experiencing or at risk of developing neurocognitive impairments. People living with …

Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease: Progressive Neurological Decline, Christine Fayad Md, Scott J. Anderson, H. Alex Akhondi Md

Internal Medicine

No abstract provided.

Chronic Environmental Exposure To Metal Mixtures In Tribal Populations And Potential Immune System Effects, Jennifer J. Ong

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Hardrock mining in the United States (US) has left a legacy of mixed metal mine waste sites. Wastes may contain multiple metals of health concern, including arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and uranium, among others. Mining waste sites are disproportionately located on or contiguous to the watersheds of tribal lands. Due to proximity, and because of reliance on natural resources to maintain traditional diets and customs, Native American communities’ contact with multiple metals is often increased. Two impacted communities are the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and Navajo Nation. Both tribes have expressed concerns that metals in mine waste adversely affect …

Diseases Of The Aorta, Maria Mazalkova

Faculty Works: AHS (2004-2023)

Aortic diseases are very common, however , for many years they might be undiscovered. It is very important to raise awareness of aortic diseases in order to provide a highest quality patient care through education, research and treatment.

Viral Infections And Interferons In The Development Of Obesity, Yun Tian, Jordan Jennings, Yuanying Gong, Yongming Sang

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Obesity is now a prevalent disease worldwide and has a multi-factorial etiology. Several viruses or virus-like agents including members of adenoviridae, herpesviridae, slow virus (prion), and hepatitides, have been associated with obesity; meanwhile obese patients are shown to be more susceptible to viral infections such as during influenza and dengue epidemics. We examined the co-factorial role of viral infections, particularly of the persistent cases, in synergy with high-fat diet in induction of obesity. Antiviral interferons (IFNs), as key immune regulators against viral infections and in autoimmunity, emerge to be a pivotal player in the regulation of adipogenesis. In this review, …

Establishing Computational Approaches Towards Identifying Malarial Allosteric Modulators: A Case Study Of Plasmodium Falciparum Hsp70s, Arnold Amusengeri, Lindy Astl, Kevin Lobb, Gennady M. Verkhivker, Özlem Tastan Bishop

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Combating malaria is almost a never-ending battle, as Plasmodium parasites develop resistance to the drugs used against them, as observed recently in artemisinin-based combination therapies. The main concern now is if the resistant parasite strains spread from Southeast Asia to Africa, the continent hosting most malaria cases. To prevent catastrophic results, we need to find non-conventional approaches. Allosteric drug targeting sites and modulators might be a new hope for malarial treatments. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are potential malarial drug targets and have complex allosteric control mechanisms. Yet, studies on designing allosteric modulators against them are limited. Here, we identified allosteric …

Nearly Complete Genome Sequences Of 17 Enterovirus D68 Strains From Kansas City, Missouri, 2018, Suman B. Pakala, Yi Tan, Ferdaus Hassan, Annie Mai, Robert H. Markowitz, Meghan H. Shilts, Seesandra V. Rajagopala, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Suman R. Das

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Here, we report 17 nearly complete genome sequences of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) isolated from Kansas City, MO, in 2018. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that these strains belong to subclade B3, similar to the ones that caused the 2016 epidemics in the United States but different from the 2014 outbreak B1 strains.

Is It Fair To Compare? A Patient And Family Experience Of Two Healthcare Systems And Neurosurgical Teams Within A Two-Week Period, Laura Miller Cpxp

Patient Experience Journal

As the mother of a 28-year-old son with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus, and as a healthcare consultant focused on patient experience and professional development, I have a unique perspective and skill set. Recently he experienced symptoms that included an excruciating headache, neck pain and lethargy. Fearing his ventriculoperitoneal shunt had malfunctioned, he went to the emergency room and was later admitted on the neuro inpatient floor for a three-day hospitalization. His original shunt had been placed in 1991, and he never had an issue with until August 2018. While in the hospital, he was informed that he was no longer …

Awakening From A Medical Mystery: One Patient’S Experience Of Being Undiagnosed, Dwane Unruh

Patient Experience Journal

This personal narrative pleads for a supportive and comprehensive system or sub-system similar to that which exists for cancer patients, to deal with undiagnosed illnesses. By describing the torment of living with a debilitating illness that medicine could not easily recognize, then by contrasting this experience with my wife’s experience of the cancer care system, and by referring along the way to lessons learned many years ago from reading the works of the inciteful neurologist, Dr. Oliver Sacks, I hope to inspire the medical system to develop a separate, supportive and comprehensive system to deal with the undiagnosed. As it …