Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Human Intruder Test: An Anxiety Assessment In Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta), Emily J. Peterson

Masters Theses

The human intruder test (HIT) is a noninvasive tool widely used for assessing anxiety in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). This thesis explores the HIT procedure and applies it to a population of monkeys with a self-injurious behavioral pathology. Individual variation on this test can be used to assess anxiety and temperament. The first experiment of this thesis applied two different procedures of the HIT to 17 monkeys at UMass. Monkeys displayed little response to the intruder, and no significant differences were detected for the two procedures. To determine whether these responses were unique to the UMass monkeys, their …

Characterization Of The Reconstituted And Native Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Type Iii Secretion System Translocon, Kathryn R. Monopoli

Masters Theses

The Type III Secretion (T3S) system is a system utilized by many pathogenic bacteria to inject proteins into host cells during an infection. Effector proteins enter the host cell by passing through the proteinaceous T3S translocon, which forms a pore on the host cell membrane. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that utilizes the T3S system, and very little is known about how the P. aeruginosa translocon forms.

The proteins PopB and PopD are believed to assemble into the P. aeruginosa translocon. A pore-forming heterocomplex of PopB and PopD has been reconstituted in model membranes, however this heterocomplex has not …

Breast Cancer Rehabilitation: Clinical Examination And Outcomes Assessment, Nicole L. Stout, Shana Harrington, Lucinda Pfalzer, Mary Insana Fisher

Mary Insana Fisher

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the United States. The treatment for breast cancer occurs along a protracted time period and includes many different disease treatment modalities. These treatments carry with them a large number of adverse effects that negatively impact function in both the short term and long term. It is necessary for rehabilitation providers to interface with patients being treated for breast cancer throughout the continuum of care so that interval assessments can be conducted to identify emerging impairments and alleviate disability. To achieve this, the rehabilitation provider must have an understanding of …

Eosinophils From Murine Lamina Propria Induce Differentiation Of Naïve T Cells Into Regulatory T Cells Via Tgf-Β1 And Retinoic Acid, Hong-Hu Chen, Ai-Hua Sun, David M. Ojcius, Wei-Lin Hu, Yu-Mei Ge, Xu'ai Lin, Lan-Juan Li, Jian-Ping Pan, Jie Yan

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Treg cells play a crucial role in immune tolerance, but mechanisms that induce Treg cells are poorly understood. We here have described eosinophils in lamina propria (LP) that displayed high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity, a rate-limiting step during all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) synthesis, and expressed TGF-β1 mRNA and high levels of ATRA. Co-incubation assay confirmed that LP eosinophils induced the differentiation of naïve T cells into Treg cells. Differentiation promoted by LP eosinophils were inhibited by blocked either TGF-β1 or ATRA. Peripheral blood (PB) eosinophils did not produce ATRA and could not induce Treg differentiation. These data identifies LP eosinophils …

Β-Thujaplicin: A Soil Antifungal, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: β-thujaplicin (β-Th), also known as hinokitiol, naturally occurs in cedar mulch, is found in personal care products and has in vitro antitumor activities. It is antibacterial and antifungal, but has not been tested on soil. Scedosporium apiospermum (Sce) is an emerging “extremophile” fungal pathogen found in built outdoor environments.

Purpose: Pilot β-Th as “natural” soil antimicrobial or for isolation of extremophiles, and to explore β-Th resistance as selective advantage to Sce in mulched landscape.

Methods: A variety of outdoor and indoor environments were used for 2 sets of 24 paired soil samples. Soil/H20 slurry (0.1 ml) was spread on …

In Vitro Growth Suppression Of Renal Carcinoma Cells By Curcumin, Santhi D. Konduri, Madhavi Latha Yadav Bangaru, Phu Thanh Do, Shenglin Chen, Jeffrey Woodliff, Sanjay Kansra

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

Malignant clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) is an aggressive tumor highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiation. Current therapeutic approaches to management of ccRCC have not significantly improved patient survival, therefore novel therapies are needed. Activated NFκB and STAT3 expression is associated with ccRCC pathogenesis. The dietary polyphenol curcumin is a well-documented antitumor agent and a known inhibitor of NFκB and STAT3 activation. Given the lack of effective therapies that block ccRCC progression, our objective was to examine whether curcumin could suppress the growth and migration of ccRCC cells, and whether this suppression was mediated via inhibition of NFκB and …

Protective Effect Of Anti-Suam Antibodies On Streptococcus Uberis Mastitis, Raúl A. Almeida, Oudessa Kerro Dego, María E. Prado, Susan I. Headrick, Mark J. Lewis, Lydia J. Siebert, Gina M. Pighetti, Stephen P. Oliver

Animal Science Publications and Other Works

In the present study, the effect of anti-recombinant Streptococcus uberis adhesion molecule (SUAM) antibodies against S. uberis intramammary infections (IMI) was evaluated using a passive protection model. Mammary quarters of healthy cows were infused with S. uberis UT888 opsonized with affinity purified anti-rSUAM antibodies or hyperimmune sera. Non-opsonized S. uberis UT888 were used as a control. Mammary quarters infused with opsonized S. uberis showed mild-to undetectable clinical symptoms of mastitis, lower milk bacterial counts, and less infected mammary quarters as compared to mammary quarters infused with non-opsonized S. uberis. These findings suggest that anti-rSUAM antibodies interfered with infection of …

Investigating The Influences Of Language Delay And/Or Familial Risk For Dyslexia On Brain Structure In 5-Year-Olds, Nora Maria Raschle, Bryce Larkin Chessell Becker, Sara Smith, Lynn Valérie Fehlbaum, Yingying Wang, Nadine Gaab

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

Early language delay has often been associated with atypical language/literacy development. Neuroimaging studies further indicate functional disruptions during language and print processing in school-age children with a retrospective report of early language delay. Behavioral data of 114 5-year-olds with a retrospective report of early language delay in infancy (N = 34) and those without (N = 80) and with a familial risk for dyslexia and those without are presented. Behaviorally, children with a retrospective report of early language delay exhibited reduced performance in language/reading-related measures. A voxel-based morphometry analysis in a subset (N = 46) demonstrated an association between reduced …

Targeting Autopalmitoylation To Modulate Protein S-Palmitoylation, Laura Dawn Hamel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Palmitoylation refers to the covalent attachment of fatty acids, such as palmitate, onto the cysteine residues of proteins. This process may subsequently alter their localization and function. Nearly all of the enzymes that catalyze palmitoylation, zDHHC protein acyl transferases (PATs), are implicated in neurological disorders, infectious diseases, and cancer in humans. Of particular interest to those who study palmitoylation are Ras family GTPas and zDHHC9-GCP16, the zDHHC PAT that palmitoylates Ras proteins. Erf2-Erf4 is the zDHHC PAT that palmitoylates Ras proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Currently, there are no methods to therapeutically target palmitoylation for the treatment of disease. One …

Dexamethasone Regulates Gene Expression Induced By The Mechanosensitive P2x7 Receptor In Osteoblasts, Meena Na

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Orthodontic tooth movement involves activation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in response to mechanical forces. Extracellular nucleotides, released in response to mechanical stimuli, signal through P2 receptors in osteoblasts. P2X7 receptors are ATP-gated cation channels implicated in mechanotransduction in bone. Corticosteroids such as dexamethasone exhibit anti-inflammatory effects and their chronic use has been linked to serious side-effects such as osteoporosis. We investigated gene expression following P2X7 receptor activation with benzoylbenzoyl-ATP (P2X7 receptor agonist) in osteoblast precursor cells in the presence or absence of dexamethasone. We hypothesized that dexamethasone inhibits the ability of ATP to stimulate the expression of anabolic (bone forming) …

Use Of Spirometry For Medical Clearance And Surveillance In Occupations Requiring Respirator Use, Ushang Prakshbhai Desai

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Medical certification of workers for respirator use is an important activity of occupational medicine health professionals. Spirometry is a diagnostic tool to evaluate respiratory distress/insufficiency that may affect respirator use. In this study, we analyzed the pulmonary function data of 337 workers from different occupations which required medical evaluation to wear a respirator. The American Thoracic Society and National Fire Protection Association criteria were used to evaluate employees. Of 337 workers who were cleared for respiratory use on the basis of medical questionnaires for respirator compliance, 14 (4.15%) failed to pass respirator compliance on the basis of NFPA criteria and …

Molecular And Phenotypic Studies Validating The Role Of The Ecdysone Receptor In The Human Parasite Brugia Malayi, Amruta Mhashilkar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Filariasis and onchocerciasis are debilitating diseases affecting 120 million people globally. The massive socio-economic impact of these diseases energized the international community to declare a goal of eliminating filariasis 2020. This resulted in a dramatic increase in the efforts to eliminate filariasis and onchocerciasis, employing a strategy of mass drug administration (MDA). However, these programs rely upon the small arsenal of drugs. This leaves these programs vulnerable to failure in the face of developing resistance and local intolerance to the current drug regimens. Thus, new drugs against these infections are critically needed. A homologue of the ecdysone receptor (EcR), a …

Strain Hardening And Anisotropy During Tensile Testing Of Sheared Model Mozzarella Cheeses, Prateek Sharma, Peter A. Munro, Tzvetelin T. Dessev, Peter G. Wiles, E. Allen Foegeding

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

We studied the tensile fracture properties of model Mozzarella cheeses with varying amounts of shear work input (3.3–73.7 kJ/kg). After manufacture, cheeses were elongated by manual rolling at 65°C followed by tensile testing at 21°C on dumbbell-shaped samples cut both parallel and perpendicular to the rolling direction. Strain hardening parameters were estimated from stress–strain curves using 3 different methods. Fracture stress and strain for longitudinal samples did not vary significantly with shear work input up to 26.3 kJ/kg and then decreased dramatically at 58.2 kJ/kg. Longitudinal samples with shear work input <30 kJ/kg demonstrated significant strain hardening by all 3 estimation methods. At shear work inputs <30 kJ/kg, strong anisotropy was observed in both fracture stress and strain. After a shear work input of 58.2 kJ/kg, anisotropy and strain hardening were absent. Perpendicular samples did not show strain hardening at any level of shear work input. Although the distortion of the fat drops in the cheese structure associated with the elongation could account for some of the anisotropy observed, the presence of anisotropy in the elongated nonfat samples reflected that shear work and rolling also aligned the protein structure.

The Genome Russia Project: Closing The Largest Remaining Omission On The World Genome Map, T. K. Oleksyk, Vladimir Brukhin, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

We are witnessing the great era of genome exploration of the world, as genetic variation in people is being detailed across multiple varied world populations in an effort unprecedented since the first human genome sequence appeared in 2001. However, these efforts have yet to produce a comprehensive mapping of humankind, because important regions of modern human civilization remain unexplored. The Genome Russia Project promises to fill one of the largest gaps, the expansive regions across the Russian Federation, informing not just medical genomics of the territories, but also the migration settlements of historic and pre-historic Eurasian peoples.

Science Undergraduate Research Conference 2015 Booklet, Dublin Institute Of Technology, Institute Of Technology, Tallaght, Institute Of Technology, Blanchardstown

Group Reports

Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), IT Tallaght and IT Blanchardstown hosted the Science Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC 2015) on 13th November 2015 in DIT's Grangegorman Campus. 25 students from DIT, IT Tallaght and IT Blanchardstown who completed an undergraduate research project in a Scientific discipline in the academic year 2014-15 presented at this conference.

The aims of the conference were to:

1. Provide current students with an opportunity to gain an understanding of the work which has been undertaken by recent graduates, and the career opportunities that exist for graduates in Scientific disciplines.
2. Provide recent graduates with an opportunity to gain …

Wildlife In U.S. Cities: Managing Unwanted Animals, John Hadidian

John Hadidian, PhD

Conflicts between people and wild animals in cities are undoubtedly as old as urban living itself. In the United States it is only of late, however, that many of the species now found in cities have come to live there. The increasing kind and number of human-wildlife conflicts in urbanizing environments makes it a priority that effective and humane means of conflict resolution be found. The urban public wants conflicts with wildlife resolved humanely, but needs to know what the alternative management approaches are, and what ethical standards should guide their use. This paper examines contemporary urban wildlife control in …

Effect Of Genetic Background On The Dystrophic Phenotype In Mdx Mice., William D Coley, Laurent Bogdanik, Maria Candida Vila, Qing Yu, Terence A Partridge, Kanneboyina Nagaraju, +12 Additional Authors

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Genetic background significantly affects phenotype in multiple mouse models of human diseases, including muscular dystrophy. This phenotypic variability is partly attributed to genetic modifiers that regulate the disease process. Studies have demonstrated that introduction of the γ-sarcoglycan null allele onto the DBA/2J background confers a more severe muscular dystrophy phenotype than the original strain, demonstrating the presence of genetic modifier loci in the DBA/2J background. To characterize the phenotype of dystrophin deficiency on the DBA/2J background, we created and phenotyped DBA/2J-congenic Dmdmdx mice (D2-mdx) and compared them to the original, C57BL/10ScSn-Dmdmdx (B10-mdx) model. These strains were compared to their respective …

Sidestream Smoke Exposure Increases The Susceptibility Of Airway Epithelia To Adenoviral Infection, Priyanka Sharma, Abimbola O. Kolawole, Susan B. Core, Adriana E. Kajon, Katherine J.D.A. Excoffon

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Although significant epidemiological evidence indicates that cigarette smoke exposure increases the incidence and severity of viral infection, the molecular mechanisms behind the increased susceptibility of the respiratory tract to viral pathogens are unclear. Adenoviruses are non-enveloped DNA viruses and important causative agents of acute respiratory disease. The Coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is the primary receptor for many adenoviruses. We hypothesized that cigarette smoke exposure increases epithelial susceptibility to adenovirus infection by increasing the abundance of apical CAR. Methodology and Findings: Cultured human airway epithelial cells (CaLu-3) were used as a model to investigate the effect of sidestream cigarette …

A Cytosolic Multiprotein Complex Containing P85Α Is Required For Β-Catenin Activation In Colitis And Colitis-Associated Cancer, Tatiana Goretsky, Emily M. Bradford, Hyunji Ryu, Maryam Tahir, Mary Pat Moyer, Tianyan Gao, Linheng Li, Terrence A. Barrett

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is required for crypt structure maintenance. We previously observed nuclear accumulation of Ser-552 phosphorylated β-catenin (pβ-Cat^Ser-552) in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) during colitis and colitis-associated cancer. Data here delineate a novel multiprotein cytosolic complex (MCC) involved in β-catenin signaling in the intestine. The MCC contains p85α, the class IA subunit of PI3K, along with β-catenin, 14-3-3ζ, Akt, and p110α. MCC levels in IEC increase in colitis and colitis-associated cancer patients. IEC-specific p85α-deficient (p85^ΔIEC) mice develop more severe dextran sodium …

Estimating Likelihood Of Having A Brca Gene Mutation Based On Family History Of Cancers And Recommending Optimized Cancer Preventive Actions, Mehrnaz Abdollahian

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are gene mutations that drastically increase chances of developing breast and ovarian cancers, up to 20-fold, for women. A genetic blood test is used to detect BRCA mutations. Though these mutations occur in one of every 400 in the general population (excluding Ashkenazi Jewish ethnicity), they are present in most cases of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer patients. Hence, it is common practice for the physicians to require genetic testing for those that fit the rules as recommended by the National Cancer Comprehensive Network. However, data from the Myriad Laboratory, the only provider of the test until …

Cytochrome P450 3a4 Expression And Regulation In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Sarah J. Woolsey

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as lipid accumulation within hepatocytes (steatosis) in the absence of excess alcohol consumption. It is the most common liver disease in the western world, affecting one third of the general adult population with particularly high prevalence in obesity and type 2 diabetes. NAFLD is a disease continuum originating with simple hepatic steatosis that can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with fibrosis and potentially cirrhosis, which places patients at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma. Unfortunately, there are not yet specific pharmacologic agents to treat NAFLD and so its management involves treatment of comorbidities, but there …

The Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 2 (Trpm2) Channel Contributes To Beta-Amyloid Oligomer-Related Neurotoxicity And Memory Impairment, Valeriy G. Ostapchenko, Megan Chen, Monica S. Guzman, Yu-Feng Xie, Natalie Lavine, Jue Fan, Flavio H. Beraldo, Amanda C. Martyn, Jillian C. Belrose, Yasuo Mori, John F. Macdonald, Vania F. Prado, Marco A. M. Prado, Michael F. Jackson

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

In Alzheimer's disease, accumulation of soluble oligomers of beta-amyloid peptide is known to be highly toxic, causing disturbances in synaptic activity and neuronal death. Multiple studies relate these effects to increased oxidative stress and aberrant activity of calcium-permeable cation channels leading to calcium imbalance. The transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) channel, a Ca2+-permeable nonselective cation channel activated by oxidative stress, has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, and more recently in amyloid-induced toxicity. Here we show that the function of TRPM2 is augmented by treatment of cultured neurons with beta-amyloid oligomers. Aged APP/PS1 Alzheimer's mouse model showed increased levels of …

The Chemopreventive Effect Of Polymethoxyflavones: Targeting The Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells, Fei Xu

Doctoral Dissertations

Among all the cancers, the death rate of colorectal cancer is one of the highest. Evidence from both murine xenograft model and human trials have shown cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for the initiation, metastasis and recurrence of multiple cancers therefore targeting colorectal CSCs would be a promising chemo-preventive/ therapeutic strategy. Polymethoxyflavones including nobiletin (NBT) and 5-demethylatednobiletin (5DN) are exclusively found in citrus peels and have been shown to have anti-cancer effects. Our previous studies in the biotransformation and tissue distribution of NBT and 5DN have shown that in order to fuller evaluate the biological impact of those two …

Analysis Of Genetic Diversity Using Simple Sequence Repeat (Ssr) Markers And Growth Regulator Response In Biofield Treated Cotton (Gossypium Hirsutum L.), Mahendra Kumar Trivedi, Alice Branton, Dahryn Trivedi, Gopal Nayak, Mayank Gangwar, Snehasis Jana

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Cotton is the most important crop for the production of fiber that plays a key role in economic and social affairs. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of biofield energy treatment on cotton seeds regarding its growth, germination of seedling, glutathione (GSH) concentration, indole acetic acid (IAA) content and DNA fingerprinting using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for polymorphism analysis. The seeds of cotton cv. Stoneville-2 (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was obtained from DNA Land Marks Inc., Canada and divided into two groups. One group was remained as untreated, while the other was subjected to Mr. Trivedi …

Use Of Energy Healing Medicine Against Escherichia Coli For Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Biochemical Reaction And Biotyping, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi, Alice Branton, Dahryn Trivedi, Gopal Nayak, Mayank Gangwar, Snehasis Jana

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Antibiogram, Biochemical Reactions And Biotyping Of Biofield Treated Providencia Rettgeri, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi, Alice Branton, Dahryn Trivedi, Gopal Nayak, Sambhu Charan Mondal, Snehasis Jana

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Physicochemical And Spectroscopic Characterization Of Biofield Energy Treated Gerbera Multiplication Medium, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi, Alice Branton, Dahryn Trivedi, Gopal Nayak, Ragini Singh, Snehasis Jana

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Evaluation Of Plant Growth Regulator, Immunity And Dna Fingerprinting Of Biofield Energy Treated Mustard Seeds (Brassica Juncea), Mahendra Kumar Trivedi, Alice Branton, Dahryn Trivedi, Gopal Nayak, Sambhu Charan Mondal, Snehasis Jana

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Antibiogram Of Biofield-Treated Shigella Boydii: Global Burden Of Infections, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi, Alice Branton, Dahryn Trivedi, Gopal Nayak, Sambhu Charan Mondal, Snehasis Jana

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Phenotyping And Genotyping Characterization Of Proteus Vulgaris After Biofield Treatment, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi, Alice Branton, Dahryn Trivedi, Gopal Nayak, Sambhu Charan Mondal, Snehasis Jana

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi