Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Rare Cause Of Pneumoperitoneum, Robert Zusman, George Michael, Anna E. Augustin, My Myers, Dudith Pierre-Victor

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2020

Pneumoperitoneum is most commonly associated with a perforated viscus. When free air is seen on imaging, the most common course of action is an emergent exploratory laparotomy. However, pneumoperitoneum may not always be indicative of a perforated bowel. In the case described below, we will discuss a patient who developed acute peritonitis and pneumoperitoneum after undergoing chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and positive pressure mechanical ventilation.

The Efficacy Of Extended-Release Eprinomectin For The Reduction Of Horn Flies, Face Flies, And Fecal Egg Counts Of Parasitic Nematodes In Replacement Beef Heifers, Sophia F. Landers

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of extended-release eprinomectin against horn flies, face flies, and fecal egg counts of parasitic nematodes in crossbreed replacement beef heifers. Fifty-four heifers were randomly placed into three treatment groups (N=18 heifers/treatment). Group 1 was administered the labeled dosage of extended-release eprinomectin on day 0. Group 2 acted as the negative control. Group 3 received the anthelmintic injection once a quarter of the heifers in the group reached the threshold treatment level for horn flies (N=200 flies/animal; day 41). Nematode infections were measured via fecal egg counts while horn and face …

Functional Analysis Of A Critical Glycine (Glycine 12) In Beta-Type Connexins Of Human Skin, Rasheed Bailey

Biology Theses

At least five beta-type connexins are expressed in various layers of the skin (Cx26, Cx30, Cx30.3, Cx31, and Cx32) and all include a glycine residue at position 12. Glycine12 (G12) is located about halfway through the cytoplasmic amino terminus and has been the focus of several studies related to connexin diseases and gap junction channel structure. The importance of this residue is evident in the severity and diversity of diseases associated with amino acid substitutions at G12 including hereditary forms of skin disease, deafness and neuropathy. This study uses bioinformatic analysis in combination with mutational analysis and electrophysiology to better …

Filifactor Alocis: Resilience And Manipulation Against Neutrophil Effector Functions In A Dysbiotic Oral Environment., Max N. Rogers

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Periodontitis is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory infectious disease that affects around 50% of the adult population in the USA. Neutrophils, which are the primary immune cells recruited to restore health at sites of infection, are profuse in the gingival space during oral infections. In a community-wide effort, pathogenic oral bacteria hijack neutrophil effector functions to evade killing, resulting in an uncontrollable inflammatory loop that leads into inflammation-mediated tissue injury. One of these harmful emerging oral pathogens, Filifactor alocis, has been shown to evade neutrophil killing and contribute to disease progression. The purpose of this study is to gain a …

Evaluation Of Anthelmintic Therapies In A Fall Calving Beef Cowherd, Laine Zammit

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Internal parasitism inevitability prompts economic loss in beef cattle production by decreasing growth performance and reproductive traits. Today, the most widely used class of anthelmintic used to treat parasitism, is the macrocyclic lactone. Many studies have conflicting results on the efficacy of macrocyclic lactones (ML) efficacy against internal parasitism. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of moxidectin and eprinomectin, two of the MLs, on cow performance. Multiparous fall calving, crossbred beef cows (n = 106) were allocated randomly to 1 of 3 anthelmintic treatments: 1) Negative control (CON), in which cows did not receive an anthelmintic, …

Volatile Organic Compound Exposure And Cardiometabolic Syndrome Risk In A Nationally Representative Cohort., Stacey Lane Konkle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: The relative importance of environmental exposures such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is one of the paramount public health priorities of our time, yet is presently unstudied. VOCs are ubiquitous in the environment and have been associated with numerous adverse health effects, including a number of cardiovascular and metabolic effects that are components of Cardiometabolic Syndrome (CMS). OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between CMS and individual-level exposures to VOCs, measured as urinary metabolites of VOCs (UM-VOCs), in a nationally representative sample. METHODS: Associations between urinary biomarkers of exposure to 19 parent VOCs and CMS were assessed using the National …

Tobacco-Derived Aldehydes: Platelet Activation, Thrombosis, And The Role Of Trpa1., Andre Dwayne Richardson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cigarette smoking is the single largest risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) pathophysiology. Numerous researchers have shown potential associations between aldehydes in tobacco-derived aerosols from mainstream cigarette smoke (MCS) or electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) and their cardiotoxicity by damaging blood vessel endothelium. The severity of exposure to these toxicants can furthermore lead to adverse cardiovascular outcomes such as myocardial infarctions, stroke, coronary and peripheral artery disease, or atherosclerosis due to blood clots, a pro-thrombotic event. However, the mechanisms by which levels of harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) such as aldehydes induce thrombosis are not well-known. Of specific interest, evidence has …

Serpinb1 Effects On Human Pancreatic Ductal Cells, Praneeth Goli

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Rebuilding or expanding the body’s ability to regulate blood glucose levels by restoring or increasing the body’s ability to produce insulin, long-term, would be a major advancement in diabetes (type-1 and type-2) treatment and could serve as a potential cure [1]. Therefore, the holy grail of diabetes treatment and cure research is to regenerate or increase the insulin producing cells in diabetic individuals (type-1 and type-2) [1, 2]. SerpinB1 has been implicated as a biomolecular signal that stimulates an increase in insulin cell mass in murine and zebrafish models that exhibit physiologically normal compensatory islet hyperplasia. In humans, SerpinB1 is …

Structural And Functional Characterization Of Mitochondria With Trna Mutations, Brooke Henry

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) is one of the most common disorders associated with mitochondrial tRNA mutations. One of the most common causes of MELAS is mutation in the MT-TL1 gene which codes for mitochondrial tRNA Leucine (UUR). Mutation in MT-TE gene, another mitochondrial gene which encodes for mitochondrial tRNA Glutamate (GAA/G), has been implicated in various mitochondrial related myopathies. It remains unclear how point mutations in these tRNA genes result in disease onset and progression. Here, we report an early comparative analysis of fibroblast cell lines derived from patients carrying two different tRNA mutations: m.3243A>G …

Modified Stent Design For A Coronary Bifurcation Lesion, Abigail Nowell

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Currently, 18.2 million adults aged 20 and older are diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) (Benjamin et al., 2019). Stenosis is the most common intervention. However, when a patient has a bifurcated artery, treatment becomes more difficult and is often unsuccessful. This project created a new stent and balloon complex that was tested in vitro using a gel phantom artery model. Two separate prototypes have been created and tested so far, with improvements made upon each. Testing is still underway with Prototype 2.

The Relationship Between Glucose Levels And Physical Activity, Rebecca Eberle

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract: Background/Introduction: Elevated glucose levels can increase the risk of diseases, such as metabolic syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes. Thus, knowing glucose levels is important to indicate the likelihood of future health complications. Unfortunately, many young adults do not know their glucose levels. Purpose: The purpose of this research study was to complete a cross- sectional study and determine associations between fasting glucose with physical activity, and fitness. I hypothesized more physical activity, and higher fitness, will result in a lower, fasting glucose level. Methodology: This study examined 26 participants aged 18-25. The participants completed an 8-hour fasted glucose measurement, …

Covid-19 Pandemic & Skin Care Guidelines For Health Care Professionals, Sadia Masood, Saadia Tabassum, Shaheen Naveed, Palwasha Jalil

Section of Internal Medicine

The Novel corona virus is bringing multiple challenges for health care professionals. Skin is the biggest organ and the first line of defense against different infections and external factors. Being the front line warriors, health care professionals are susceptible to various skin conditions due to prolonged use of personal protective equipment. These adverse skin conditions are redness, irritation, itching, contact dermatitis, and aggravation of underlying skin conditions like seborrheic dermatitis and acne vulgaris. In the current global situation, the potential incidence of such adverse dermatological effects does not in any manner cause the HCPs to deviate from the strict specific …

“Disbelieving Black Women To Death”; The “Double Jeopardy”: Racism And Sexism Affects Black Women’S Access To And Quality Of Care During Pregnancy, Birth, And Postpartum, Madeline St. Clair

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This paper explores possible reasons why Black women in the United States experience a higher maternal mortality rate than their white counterparts. Using books, articles, journals, documentaries, personal experiences and stories of Black women and mothers, I argue that barriers from the societal to the individual level create health and medical disparities for Black mothers in pregnancy, during delivery, and the postpartum period. The paper concludes with a multifaceted solution and call to action.

Ctrp3 And Alcoholic Liver Disease In Female Mice, Callie Root

Undergraduate Honors Theses

C1q TNF Related Protein 3 (CTRP3), is a cytokine that is primarily secreted from adipose tissue, which classifies it as an adipokine. Our previous research has shown that CTRP3 prevents alcoholic fatty liver disease (ALD) in male mice. However, even when accounting for confounding factors such as absolute and relative alcohol intake, females are more sensitive to the effects of consumption compared to male mice. Therefore, the goal of this project was to determine whether CTRP3 prevented ALD in female mice. Methods: Female wild type (WT) and female CTRP3 transgenic over expressing (Tg) mice were fed an ethanol containing liquid …

Food Safety Risk In An Indoor Microgreen Cultivation System, Gina Marie Misra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microgreens are immature sprouts of edible plants, sharing some similarities with sprouted seeds and petite leafy greens. Since they are most often grown in containers in buildings or greenhouses, they present a new area for food safety research at the intersection of the built environment and produce farming. Contamination by human pathogens has been extensively studied in other types of produce typically eaten raw, including sprouted seeds, which have been implicated in numerous outbreaks of salmonellosis over the last several decades. There is a paucity of knowledge about the microgreen sector of the fresh-cut industry; thus, it was determined that …

“A Moral Imperative To Prevent Aids”: Race And Religion In Atlanta’S Aids Activism, 1981-1993, Madison Bailey

Honors Theses

The early years of the AIDS epidemic marked a tumultuous period of American history, calling into question the authority of doctors and the ability of scientists to cure disease. Already marginalized groups, such as gay men and intravenous drug users, appeared to be most vulnerable to a deadly virus with no cure or effective treatments. In the face of discrimination, activists rose up to provide necessary services for AIDS patients and advocate on their behalf. This activism uniquely characterized the early AIDS epidemic and permanently changed the field of biomedical research. The current historiography of AIDS activism tends to focus …

Variability In State Regulations Pertaining To Infection Control And Pandemic Response In Us Assisted Living Communities, Taylor Bucy, Lindsey Smith, Paula C. Carder, Jaclyn Winfree, Kali Thomas

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

At the end of 2019, international attention was drawn to an outbreak of zoonotic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, formally named COVID-19, in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization officially declared the outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, with the United States recording >1600 confirmed and presumptive travel-related and community-acquired cases at that time. As of April 10, 2020, all 50 US states and the District of Columbia, have reported cases, with the total number of US cases now totaling >400,000.2 Seattle, WA, is the US epicenter, with nursing facilities experiencing the greatest number of fatalities. Because of the communal living …

Investigating The Interactions Between Individual Calmodulin And Hiv-1 Protein Domains, Riley K. Kendall, Jerry Larue

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The World Health Organization found that 37.9 million people were living with HIV by the end of 2018. HIV is a virus that weakens the immune system through viral replication and the destruction of CD4⁺ T-cells, which are white blood cells that detect infection and make antibodies. A cure for HIV has not yet been discovered. HIV-1 contains a Gag polyprotein which regulates the stages of viral replication. Previous studies suggest that the myristoyl group of a matrix protein peptide found on the Gag polyprotein, MA, forms a complex with a calcium-binding, multifunctional regulatory protein called Calmodulin (CaM). CaM …

The Physiological And Psychological Effects Of Indoor Versus Outdoor Aerobic Exercise In Female Cancer Survivors: A Literature Review, Emily Ferroni

All NMU Master's Theses

Moderate aerobic exercise is advantageous to physiological and psychological well-being among healthy and diseased populations. Investigating the physiological and psychological effects of indoor and outdoor aerobic training on ROS, antioxidants, QOL, vitamin D, estrogen, kynurenine, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and the immune system within cancer patients and survivors may be imperative to their recovery and survival. Outdoor aerobic exercise within a greenery-rich environment elicits greater positive changes within overall well-being compared to outdoor exercise in an urban setting or indoor exercise. However, both indoor and outdoor aerobic exercise produce benefits in mood state, the immune system, cardiovascular health, bone health, and …

Characterization Of A Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Cards Toxin Mutant, Nikaash Pasnoori

Honors Scholar Theses

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a high-burden pathogen which causes mild to significant infections of the respiratory system. According to the CDC, an estimated two million cases occur yearly in the United States alone, demonstrating the widespread effect of the pathogen. In addition to being the cause of respiratory infections, M. pneumoniae has also been implicated in exacerbating pre-existing asthma conditions. These morbidities make finding a vaccine candidate a vital part of easing the healthcare burden caused by the pathogen. The current mechanism of infection is unknown, but recent evidence points to the Community Acquired Respiratory Distress Syndrome (CARDS) toxin as being …

Optical Clearing Reveals Tnbs-Induced Morphological Changes Of Vglut2-Positive Nerve Endings In The Colorectum, Shivam Patel

Honors Scholar Theses

Sensitization of colorectal afferents and colorectal hypersensitivity have been observed in a mouse model of post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome via intracolonic treatment of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS). In this study, we investigated the distribution and morphology of microscopic colorectal afferent endings before and after intracolonic treatment of TNBS. We genetically labeled predominantly extrinsic colorectal afferents using the vesicular glutamate transporter type 2 (VGLUT2) promoter. Then, we used an optical tissue clearing method of whole-mount colorectum to image labeled VGLUT2-nerve endings that are otherwise obscured in untreated samples. We used vector path tracing to quantify the density and degree of curliness of …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Multi-Drug Resistant Enterococci, Ayesha Khan

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Antibiotic resistance is a major global public health threat. Enterococci are recalcitrant, nosocomial pathogens that can be intrinsically resistant to valuable antibiotics, like beta-lactams, or evolve resistance to all existing antimicrobials. The LiaFSR system regulates resistance to cell membrane (CM) stressors like daptomycin (DAP), a front-line drug for multi-drug resistant infections. DAP resistance (DAP-R) in E. faecalis is mediated by CM phospholipid alterations. Emergence of DAP-R often leads to b-lactam resensitization, a phenomenon called the seesaw effect. The molecular mechanism of DAP-R and the seesaw effect are unknown. Here we show that LiaX is a surface exposed protein whose C-terminal …

Factors That Impact Uptake Of Carrier Screening By Male Reproductive Partners Of Female Prenatal Patients, Wendi Betting

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Carrier screening is a genomic technology that is used to identify individuals who are carriers of autosomal recessive conditions. Despite published recommendations, the majority of male partners do not complete carrier screening after their female partner is identified to be a carrier. Previous studieshave examined reasons why women elect or decline carrier screening, but there have been few published studies that examine factors that influence a male partner’s decision to elect or decline carrier screening, particularly when the female has been identified as a carrier. The aim of the study was to determine the factors that influence the uptake of …

Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K (Hnrnp K) Overexpression And Its Interaction With Runx1 Rna In Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Marisa Aitken

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an often devastating hematologic malignancy with 5-year overall survival lingering near 20%. Acquiring a deeper understanding of molecular underpinnings of leukemogenesis will provide a basis for developing more effective therapeutic strategies for patients with AML.

Here, we identified overexpression of hnRNP K as a recurrent abnormality in a subset (~20%) of AML patients. High levels of this RNA-binding protein associated with inferior clinical outcomes in de novo AML. Thus, to evaluate its putative oncogenic capacity in myeloid disease, we overexpressed hnRNP K in murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells isolated from fetal liver cells (FLCs). …

Synthesis, Cytotoxicity And Apoptosis Studies On Nickel And Zinc Derivatives Of Testosterone-N4-Substituted-Thiosemicarbazones, Mok Piew Heng

Student Works (2020-2029)

The side effects of cisplatin such as toxicities are mainly due to the lack of selectivity of this chemotherapeutic agent. In order to increase the selectivity of an anticancer agent, hormone molecule that targets a specific receptor may be utilized. This research aimed to prepare cytotoxic Schiff base compounds (and their nickel and zinc complexes) with testosterone and derivatives of thiosemicarbazide, which are potentially selective towards cancerous cells. Three Schiff base ligands (TM, TF, and TP) were made from the conjugation of testosterone with three derivatives of thiosemicarbazide (N4= methyl, fluorophenyl, and ethylphenyl) and their respective nickel (NM, NF, and …

The Effects Of Farnesol, A Quorum Sensing Molecule From Candida Albicans, On Alcaligenes Faecalis, Savannah Hutson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Quorum sensing molecules have become a recent focus of study to learn if and how they can be used, both on their own and in conjecture with current antimicrobial methods, as a means of bacterial control. One such quorum sensing molecule is the sesquiterpene alcohol, Farnesol, which is synthesized and released by the fungus, Candida albicans. In most in-vivo cases, our laboratory has shown that Alcaligenes faecalis overtakes C. albicans, preventing its growth. However, as a way to counteract this inhibitory effect, Farnesol may be one way that Candida has found to fight back. In this study, we …

Forecasting The Essential Chemotherapy Needed For Treatment Of Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Brian T. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer, with contemporary therapy resulting in a 90% survival in high-income countries (HIC). However, an estimated 89% of the world’s children live in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) where survival is much lower. Lack of access to essential chemotherapy contributes significantly to the decreased survival rates for LMIC, and inaccurate forecasting of chemotherapy needed may lead to stockouts or oversupply. This chapter describes a simple forecasting system with population and patient-based multipliers for each drug used in the treatment of pediatric ALL, thus estimating the essential chemotherapy quantities needed for a …

Overexpression Of Tc-Ptp In Murine Epidermis Attenuates Skin Tumor Formation, Mihwa Kim, Liza D. Morales, Cheol Jung Lee, Serena A. Olivarez, Woo Jin Kim, Joselin Hernandez, Srinivas Mummidi, Christopher Jenkinson, Andrew Tsin, Ik-Soon Jang, Thomas J. Slaga, Dae Joon Kim

School of Medicine Publications

T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TC-PTP), encoded by Ptpn2, has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor during skin carcinogenesis. In the current study, we generated a novel epidermal-specific TC-PTP-overexpressing (K5HA.Ptpn2) mouse model to show that TC-PTP contributes to the attenuation of chemically induced skin carcinogenesis through the synergistic regulation of STAT1, STAT3, STAT5, and PI3K/AKT signaling. We found overexpression of TC-PTP increased epidermal sensitivity to DMBA-induced apoptosis and it decreased TPA-mediated hyperproliferation, coinciding with reduced epidermal thickness. Inhibition of STAT1, STAT3, STAT5, or AKT reversed the effects of TC-PTP overexpression on epidermal survival and proliferation. Mice overexpressing TC-PTP in …

Dietary Fat And Sugar Differentially Affect Β-Adrenergic Stimulation Of Cardiac Erk And Akt Pathways In C57bl/6 Male Mice Subjected To High-Calorie Feeding, Sadia Ashraf, Gizem Yilmaz, Xu Chen, Romain Harmancey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: High dietary fat and sugar promote cardiac hypertrophy independently from an increase in blood pressure. The respective contribution that each macronutrient exerts on cardiac growth signaling pathways remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which high amounts of dietary fat and sugar affect cardiac growth regulatory pathways.

METHODS: Male C57BL/6 mice (9 wk old; n = 20/group) were fed a standard rodent diet (STD; kcal% protein-fat-carbohydrate, 29-17-54), a high-fat diet (HFD; 20-60-20), a high-fat and high-sugar Western diet (WD; 20-45-35), a high-sugar diet with mixed carbohydrates (HCD; 20-10-70), or a high-sucrose diet …

Unique Case Of Anca-Negative Pauci-Immune Necrotizing Glomerulonephritis With Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage, Potentially Associated With Midostaurin, Jonathan D Pankow, Guillaume Richard-Carpentier, Naval G Daver, William F Glass, Jaya Kala

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We present a 61-year-old male with FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia treated with midostaurin who developed acute kidney injury requiring hemodialysis and pulmonary renal syndrome. Antibodies to proteinase-3, myeloperoxidase, and glomerular basement membrane were negative. Renal biopsy confirmed acute pauci-immune focal necrotizing glomerulonephritis (GN) with fibrin crescents indicating rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis. He improved with pulse methylprednisolone, intravenous cyclophosphamide, and plasma exchange with resolution of hemoptysis. This case highlights the importance of prompt renal biopsy to guide early initiation of life-saving therapies. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of ANCA-negative pauci-immune necrotizing GN likely secondary to midostaurin.