Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Elevated L-Lactate Drives Major Cellular Pathologies Associated With Neurodegeneration, Jessica Behnke

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Within the past few decades, lactate research has expanded from initial findings deeming lactate as a dead-end metabolic product to recognition of lactate’s role as a potential energy substrate in the CNS. Due to the tight relationship between lactate and energy metabolism, interest in the scientific community has been mounting around associations among metabolic dysregulation, elevated lactate and neurodegenerative states such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ischemia/reperfusion (AD, PD, ALS, I/R injuries), and physiological aging, however underlying cellular mechanisms and/or facilitators for neuronal degeneration pathologies still remain unknown. Here, we tested several hypotheses that implicate L-lactate to various neurodegenerative …

Food Allergy In Youth: A Primer For Allied Health Professionals, Philip Welch, Lauren Maziarz, Macy Mccartney, Chelsea Raker

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Many youth struggle with the physical, mental, and social burdens of food allergy. The exact cause of food allergies is unknown, but several theories exist such as the “couch potato theory”, “hygiene hypothesis”, “microflora theory”, and “alarmins” theory. This non-systematic literature review summarizes the problem of youth food allergy and provides guidance to allied health professionals.

Method: A literature search of the relevant literature from years 2000 through 2017 was conducted using PubMed with the key words “food allergy”, “youth”, and “management”.

Results: Youth with food allergy may experience anxiety, social isolation, bullying, and depression, in addition to life-threatening …

“When One Shingle Sends Up Smoke”: The Summit Beacon Advises Akron About The Epidemic Cholera, 1849, Elizabeth Hall

Nineteenth-Century Ohio Literature

Elizabeth Hall explains the American cholera epidemic of 1849, with special attention to how cholera afflicted Akron, a booming canal town in Northeast Ohio. The article presents the full text of 1849 Akron newspaper articles on cholera and explains how their mix of good and bad information was published right before scientific breakthroughs in cholera research.

Analysis Of Ocular Changes In A Cyp1b1-/- Mouse, Emily Arison

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this research is to develop a mouse model with a mutation in the CYP1B1 gene that would result in a phenotype similar to that seen in Primary Congenital Glaucoma (PCG) human patients. Using this mouse model, structural changes in eyes and upregulation of certain proteins were observed compared to a normal mouse. Examination of the cornea, iris, retina, ciliary body, and iridocorneal angle showed structural changes in CYP1B1 mice compared to wild type mice. These results were similar to those described in studies using other animal models. Furthermore, the current study confirmed earlier findings in other animal …

Risk Factors For Short- And Long-Term Outcomes In Children With Stec-Hus/D, Judith Sebestyen Vansickle, Tarak Srivastava, Uri S. Alon

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Background. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is one of the common causes for acute kidney injury in childhood. Objective. The goals of our study were to identify risk factors for short-term complications and long-term outcomes of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)-HUS and other diarrhea positive (D+) HUS. Methods. Retrospective chart review was obtained of 58 pediatric patients treated for STEC-HUS and other D+ HUS between February 2002 and January 2011. Results. Thirty-three patients (56.9%) required dialysis. Dialysis was more likely initiated if a patient was a female (P < .012), oliguric (urine output < 0.5 mL/kg/h, P < .0005), or hemoglobin (HGB) level >10 g/dL …

Trunk Musculoskeletal Response In Maximum Voluntary Exertions: A Combined Measurement-Modeling Investigation, F. Ghezelbash, Z. El Ouaaid, A. Shirazi-Adl, A. Plamondon, N. Arjmand

Études primaires

Maximum voluntary exertion (MVE) tasks quantify trunk strength and maximal muscle electromyography (EMG) activities with both clinical and biomechanical implications. The aims here are to evaluate the performance of an existing trunk musculoskeletal model, estimate maximum muscle stresses and spinal forces, and explore likely differences between males and females in maximum voluntary exertions. We, therefore, measured trunk strength and EMG activities of 19 healthy right-handed subjects (9 females and 10 males) in flexion, extension, lateral and axial directions. MVEs for all subjects were then simulated in a subject-specific trunk musculoskeletal model, and estimated muscle activities were compared with EMGs. Analysis …

Microscale Gene Expression Analysis Of Tumor-Associated Macrophages, Kuldeep S. Attri, Kamiya Mehla, Surendra K. Shukla, Pankaj K. Singh

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

Macrophages, apart from being the key effector cells of the innate immune system, also play critical roles during the development and progression of various complex diseases, including cancer. Tumor-associated macrophages, infiltrate tumors during different stages of cancer progression to regulate motility, invasion, and intravasation to metastatic sites. Macrophages can exist in different polarization states associated with unique function in tumors. Since tumor-associated macrophages constitute a very small proportion of tumor cells, analysis of gene expression pattern using normal extraction buffer-based methods remains a challenging task. Therefore, it is imperative to develop low-throughput strategies to investigate transcriptional regulations from a small …

Met Receptor Inhibitor Su11274 Localizes In The Endoplasmic Reticulum, Edwin J. Wiest, Heather Jensen Smith, Michael A. Hollingsworth

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

We discovered that SU11274, a class I c-Met inhibitor, fluoresces when excited by 488 nm laser light and showed rapid specific accumulation in distinct subcellular compartments. Given that SU11274 reduces cancer cell viability, we exploited these newly identified spectral properties to determine SU11274 intracellular distribution and accumulation in human pancreatic cancer cells. The aim of the studies reported here was to identify organelle(s) to which SU11274 is trafficked. We conclude that SU11274 rapidly and predominantly accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Analysis Of Ocular Changes In A Cyp1b1-/- Mouse, Kylie Barto

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of the research is to investigate the structural changes seen in Primary Congenital Glaucoma using a mouse model. Eye sections of a Cyp1b1-/- mouse were compared to eye sections of a healthy normal mouse (wild type, WT). Initial examination of the cornea, iris, and irodocorneal angle showed structural changes in Cyp1b1-/-. These changes were similar to those described in the literature using other animal models. This suggests that a mutation in Cyp1b1-/- in a mouse results in a phenotype similar to that seen in PCG human patients and this model could be used to investigate the pathophysiology of …

Innate Chemical Resistance Of Virginia Big-Eared Bats (Corynorhinus Townsendii Virginianus) To White-Nose Syndrome, Daniel S. Danford, Leah Shriver, Hazel A. Barton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

White-nose Syndrome (WNS) is an emergent epidemic disease of bats in North America. Caused by the novel fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans, with a mortality rate of >75%, in the last decade WNS has led to the local extinction of numerous bat species. Despite this high mortality, one species, the Virginia big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus) remains unaffected. Virginia big-eared bats (VBEs) are commonly found covered in a yellow, oily substance, with a pelage commensal population dominated by the yeast, Debaryomyces udenii. As D. udenii is an oleaginous yeast that produces yellow colonies, the fungus may be responsible …

The Effect Of Breastfeeding And Rooming-In Care On Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Rachel Boyer, Lindsay Gal, Mahaylie Cline

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Concurrent with a rise in opioid abuse during pregnancy is an increase in the number of babies born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Despite this crisis, no single treatment has been identified for NAS. This paper sought to analyze and synthesize research evaluating the effectiveness of breastfeeding and rooming-in care on the need and length of pharmacologic treatment and length of hospital stay for neonates with NAS. Twenty-six peer reviewed research articles published between 2006 and 2017 were selected from PubMed and CINAHL for analysis. The studies focused on neonates with NAS born to mothers addicted to opioids or undergoing …

Controlling Platelet Secretion To Modulate Hemostasis And Thrombosis, Smita Joshi

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Upon vascular injury, activated blood platelets fuse their granules to the plasma membrane and release cargo to regulate the vascular microenvironment, a dynamic process central to platelet function in many critical processes including hemostasis, thrombosis, immunity, wound healing, angiogenesis etc. This granule- plasma membrane fusion is mediated by a family of membrane proteins- Soluble N-ethyl maleimide Attachment Receptor Proteins(SNAREs). SNAREs that reside on vesicle (v-SNAREs) /Vesicle-Associated Membrane Proteins(VAMPs) interact with target/t-SNAREs forming a trans-bilayer complex that facilitates granule fusion. Though many components of exocytic machinery are identified, it is still not clear how it could be manipulated to prevent …

Neurological Involvement Associated With Plasmodium Vivax Malaria From Pakistan, Yousaf Abdullah Khan, Usman Hameed Mian, Najia Karim Ghanchi, Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi, Mohammad Asim Beg

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Plasmodium vivax is the most common specie causing malaria outside Africa with approximately 13.8 million reported cases worldwide. We report case of P. vivax infection with cerebral involvement. A nine year old boy presented with high grade fever accompanied by projectile vomiting and abnormal behavior later he developed seizures, shock, and unconsciousness. P. vivax monoinfection was diagnosed based on peripheral smears and PCR. After antimalarial therapy, patient made full recovery. Current case highlights increasing trend of cerebral complications caused by P. vivax.

Workplace Standing Desks And Arterial Stiffness, Ian Greenlund

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Many jobs in today’s society require sitting at a desk with little physical activity. Individuals who engage in ten hours of sedentary behavior per day double their CVD risk. Standing desks are thought to decrease sedentary time and improve cardiovascular health. Acute use of standing desks is shown to lower PWV. However, chronic effects remain unknown. Forty eight participants qualified as seated (19 females, 5 males: age 41 ± 2 years, BMI 25 ± 1 kg/m²) or standing (21 females, 3 males: age 45 ± 2 years, BMI 25 ± 1 kg/m²) groups based on habitual …

Reducing Serious Harm Pressure Injuries: Cause Analysis Through Bedside Huddles, Cathy Bandelier Laverick, Brian Haney, Kimberly Palmer, Pat Clay, Kate Gibbs

Posters

No abstract provided.

A Healthcare Improvement Initiative To Increase Multidisciplinary Pain Management Referrals Of Youth With Sickle Cell Disease, Rae Ann Kingsley, Gail Robertson, Lynne Covitz, Areli Ramphal

Posters

No abstract provided.

Improving Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccination In Children With Cystic Fibrosis, Adam Van Mason, Wendy Estrellado-Cruz, Kristi Williams, Ellen Meier, Elizabeth Elson, Stephanie Duehlmeyer, Paula Capel, Jessica Banks, Christopher M. Oermann

Posters

No abstract provided.

Medication Timeliness In Emergency Department In Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Population Presenting With Vaso-Occlusive Episode, Derrick Goubeaux, Kaitlyn Hoch, Gerald Woods, Julie Routhieaux, Maureen Guignon, Valerie Mcdougall Kestner

Posters

No abstract provided.

Health Systems Readiness For Adopting Mhealth Interventions For Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Current Debate, Anam Shahil Feroz, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

In low-and-middle-income countries, epidemiologic transition is taking place very rapidly from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases. NCDs mortality rates are increasing faster and nearly 80% of NCDs deaths occur in LMICs. Existing weak health systems of LMICs are undergoing a devastating human and economic toll as a result of increasing treatment costs and losses to productivity from NCDs. At the same time, the increasing penetration of mobile phone technology and the spread of cellular network and infrastructure have led to the introduction of the mHealth field. While mHealth field offers a great promise to prevent and control non-communicable diseases in …

Exploring H.Pylori Seropositivity As A Risk Factor For Type 2 Diabetes, Virginia Chaidez, Yumou Qiu

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: In the US, the percentage of adults with diagnosed diabetes are higher in members of racial and ethnic minority groups compared to non-Latino Whites. Understanding why such disparities exist has been less forthcoming.

Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000 cross-sectional data.

Results: H.pylori seropositivity was highest in Mexican Americans (43.7%), lowest in non- Hispanic Whites (18.1%). Diabetes was highest in non-Hispanic Blacks (5.9%); lowest in non-Hispanic whites (4.3%). H.pylori seropositivity was associated with greater likelihood of having type 2 diabetes (1.927, 95% CI 1.142, 3.257) compared to H.pylori negative …

Parkinson's Disease: Promoting Wellbeing Through Creation Health, Rupelin Pichot

DNP Research Projects

There are approximately 1.5 million Americans affected by Parkinson’s disease (PD). In spite of medications and technological advances in managing the disease, patients with PD still live poor quality lives. Therefore, effective natural interventions are essential in promoting wellbeing and quality of life among PD patients. This research study aimed to examine the usefulness and efficacy of a PD brochure designed especially for PD patients and their caregivers by utilizing CREATION Health (CH) principles to promote wellbeing and quality of life in patients with PD. This study employed mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative research designs to evaluate the design, …

Comparative Genetic And Genomic Analysis Of The Novel Fusellovirus Sulfolobus Spindle-Shaped Virus 10, David Andrew Goodman, Kenneth M. Stedman

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Viruses that infect thermophilic Archaea are unique in both their structure and genetic makeup. The lemon-shaped fuselloviruses—which infect members of the order Sulfolobales, growing optimally at 80 C and pH 3—are some of the most ubiquitous and best studied viruses of the thermoacidophilic Archaea. Nonetheless, much remains to be learned about these viruses. In order to investigate fusellovirus evolution, we have isolated and characterized a novel fusellovirus, Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus 10 (formerly SSV-L1). Comparative genomic analyses highlight significant similarity with both SSV8 and SSV9, as well as conservation of promoter elements within the Fuselloviridae. SSV10 encodes five ORFs with no …

Towards Understanding The Role Of Small Mammals In The Transmission Of Lyme Disease In Virginia, Usa, Robert K. Rose, Laura Bitzer, Wayne Hynes, Holly D. Gaff, Robyn Nadolny, Jory Brinkerhoff

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Larvae and nymphs of many species of ticks select small mammals, reptiles, and birds as hosts. Since 2011, we have examined more than 1,000 small mammals of 10 species and collected a small tissue sample as well as all visible ticks; rates of infestation range from 18% in harvest mice to 53% in meadow voles. Identification of immature ticks is challenging and requires molecular or genetic methods beyond classification as being from the genus Ixodes or another genus. Ixodes ticks include Ixodes scapularis, the species that transmits the Lyme disease-causing bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi to humans. Of the approximately 2,300 ticks …

Evaluation Of A Handheld Gluten Detection Device, Steve L. Taylor, Julie A. Nordlee, Shyamali Jayasena, Joseph L. Baumert

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

A portable, handheld gluten detection device, the Nima sensor, is now available for consumers wishing to determine if gluten is present in food. By United States regulation, gluten-free foods should contain < 20 ppm of gluten. Thirteen gluten-free foods (muffins, three different types of bread, three different types of pasta, puffed corn snack, ice cream, meatballs, vinegar and oil salad dressing, oatmeal, and dark chocolate) were prepared; each food was spiked on a weight-to-weight basis with gluten levels of 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 100 ppm before processing or preparation. Unprocessed and processed foods were tested with the handheld gluten sensor and by two gluten-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) on the basis of the R5 and G12 monoclonal antibodies, respectively. The portable gluten detection device detected gluten in all food types at the 30-ppm addition level, failing to detect gluten in only 5 (6.4%) of 78 subsamples. At the 20-ppm addition level, the portable gluten detection device failed to detect gluten in one type of pasta but detected gluten residues in 63 (87.5%) of 72 other subsamples. The device was able to detect gluten at the 10-ppm addition level in 9 of the 13 food matrices (41 of 54 subsamples, 75.9%) but not in the three types of pasta and the puffed corn snack. The gluten-sensing device did not perform reliably at the 5-ppm addition level in 11 of 13 food matrices (exceptions: ice cream and muffins). In contrast, the ELISA methods were highly reliable at gluten addition levels of ≥ 10 ppm in all food matrices. The portable gluten detection device yielded a low percentage of false-positive results (4 of 111, 3.6%) in these food matrices. Thus, this handheld portable gluten sensor performed reliably in the detection of gluten in foods having ≥ 20 ppm of added gluten with only 18 (5.9%) of 306 failures, if results of the one type of pasta are excluded. The device worked with greater reliability as the gluten levels in the foods increased.

Concepts In Animal Parasitology: Example Chapter Section, Manuscript Of The Aspidogastrea By Klaus Rohde, Klaus Rohde

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

This is an example chapter section for Concepts in Animal Parasitology. It is a manuscript of the section titled The Aspidogastrea, written by by Klaus Rohde. This is an example of a section written without using the optional template for Parts 2-5 of the textbook. The associated images are included in a supplemental file.

Increasing Influenza Vaccination Rates In A Primary Care Clinic: A Quality Improvement Study, Cassandra R. Roshel

DNP Projects

Background

According to the most recent CDC statistics, the influenza virus kills between 12,000 and 56,000 people per year in the United States. Although influenza vaccination is recommended each year, only about half of all Americans are actually receiving the vaccine annually. The goal of this quality improvement project was to increase influenza vaccination rates at a large academic medical center in Kentucky. At baseline, there was no standardized screening protocol in place prior to this study.

Methods

This study implemented a pre-test post-test design to evaluate the impact of a process change intervention on vaccination status from September 1, …

A Process Improvement Project To Increase Referral And Documentation Rates For Diabetic Retinopathy Screening, Debra Ann Bryant Taylor

DNP Projects

Abstract

Background: Approximately 5.3 million Americans, aged 18 and over, carry a diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). By the year 2050 this number is expected to triple without effective healthcare intervention. Approximately 4.8% of the global blindness is attributable to DR, a silent, progressive, microvascular complication of diabetes. Best practice dictates immediate screening at time of diagnosis of Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and biennial screenings thereafter, yet this need is often unmet.

Purpose: This study is a continuation of a process put into place by Dr. Michelle Campbell in October 2017 at the Norton Community Medical Associates Mount Washington …

Diabetes-Related Distress Screening: A Survey Of Primary Care Providers' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices In Treating Patients With Difficulty Meeting Glycemic Goals., Michele Patrice Paxton

DNP Projects

A patient with diabetes is two to three times more likely to be depressed than the general population. Furthermore, the combination of diabetes and depression is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, research has shown that treatment for depression does not correlate with lower HbA1c levels or a decrease in morbidity and mortality. Recently, a body of evidence has shown that increased HbA1c levels and depression are associated with the emotional burden of managing diabetes. The emotional burden is caused by the constant behavioral and mental demands of managing the disease and the worry and fear of the impending …

ความชุกของเชื้อลิชมาเนีย และทริพพาโนโซมในริ้นฝอยทราย ที่เก็บได้จากแหล่งระบาดของโรคลิชมาเนียในประเทศไทย, พิมพ์พิลาส ศรีสุธน

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ริ้นฝอยทราย จัดเป็นแมลงดูดเลือดที่มีขนาดเล็ก อยู่ในวงศ์ Psychodidae อันดับ Diptera ซึ่งเป็นแมลงที่มีความสำคัญทางการแพทย์ เพราะเป็นพาหะนำโรคลิชมาเนีย ทั้งในมนุษย์และสัตว์ ในประเทศไทยมีรายงานการพบโรคลิชมาเนียและโรคทริพพาโนโซมในมนุษย์ แต่ข้อมูลของแมลงพาหะนำโรค ยังมีอยู่อย่างจำกัด งานวิจัยนี้ จึงได้ทำการศึกษาความชุกของเชื้อลิชมาเนียและเชื้อทริพพาโนโซม และความสัมพันธ์ของแมลงพาหะนำโรค ในพื้นที่ที่เป็นแหล่งระบาดของโรคลิชมาเนีย (จังหวัดสงขลา จังหวัดพัทลุง จังหวัดเชียงราย) และพื้นที่ที่ไม่ใช่แหล่งระบาดของโรคลิชมาเนีย (จังหวัดชุมพร) จำนวนทั้งหมด 500 ตัวอย่าง แบ่งออกเป็นตัวเมีย 276 ตัวอย่าง และตัวผู้ 224 ตัวอย่าง ทำการตรวจหาเชื้อลิชมาเนีย และเชื้อทริพพาโนโซม โดยใช้ตำแหน่งของยีน ITS1 และ SSU rRNA ตามลำดับ และระบุชนิดของริ้นฝอยทรายที่ตรวจพบเชื้อ ด้วยเทคนิคทางอณูชีววิทยาโดยใช้ตำแหน่งของยีน COI และ CytB ผลตรวจหาเชื้อลิชมาเนีย และทริพพาโนโซมในริ้นฝอยทราย พบว่า ริ้นฝอยทรายจากจังหวัดสงขลาจำนวน 180 ตัวอย่าง ตรวจพบเชื้อ L. martiniquensis 2 ตัวอย่าง (1.1%) และพบเชื้อ Trypanosoma sp. 4 ตัวอย่าง (2.8%) ในริ้นฝอยทราย Se. khawi ซึ่งในจำนวนนี้มีการตรวจพบ Co-infection ของเชื้อ L. martiniquensis และ Trypanosoma sp. ในริ้นฝอยทราย Se. khawi 1 ตัวอย่างด้วย ริ้นฝอยทรายจากจังหวัดพัทลุง จำนวน 136 ตัวอย่าง ตรวจพบ Trypanosoma sp. 2 ตัวอย่าง (1.5%) ในริ้นฝอยทราย Se. khawi และ Se. indica ริ้นฝอยทรายจากจังหวัดเชียงราย 61 ตัวอย่าง ตรวจพบเชื้อ Trypanosoma noyesi 1 …

Knockdown Of Heparan Sulfate Via Ndst1 Knockout Does Not Inhibit Mouse Aortic Endothelial Cell Alignment In-Vivo, John Diaz De Leon Iii

Dissertations and Theses

Atherosclerotic plaque localizes in predictable areas such as arches and bifurcations which are characterized by disturbed flow patterns and the resulting damage and dysfunction to the endothelium. Endothelial cells (ECs) under sustained laminar flow align in the direction of flow; however, under disturbed flow conditions, ECs sustain damage to their glycocalyx (GCX) which results in unaligned and rounder cells. An investigation into the role of NDST1 sulfation of heparan sulfate (HS), a key component of many proteoglycans which make up the GCX, was conducted. The descending aortas (DAs) of transgenic mice with conditional knockouts (KOs) of NDST1 in vascular ECs …