Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Heersink School of Medicine (43)
- Master of Science (MS) Heersink School of Medicine (3)
- Alzheimer’s disease (2)
- Cancer (2)
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) College of Arts and Sciences (2)
-
- FMRI (2)
- Glioblastoma (2)
- Inflammation (2)
- Islet transplantation (2)
- Macular degeneration (2)
- Master of Arts (MA) College of Arts and Sciences (2)
- MicroRNA (2)
- 3D bioprinting (1)
- ADOLESCENT (1)
- ADULT (1)
- ANXA7 (1)
- ATXN10 (1)
- Active generation (1)
- Adolescence (1)
- African American (1)
- Alternative splicing (1)
- Ancestry Estimates (1)
- Anemia (1)
- Anti-Commensal Antibodies (1)
- Antigen I/II (1)
- Antigen presenting cell (1)
- Antigen trafficking (1)
- Antioxidant (1)
- Apoptosis (1)
- Associative learning (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 51
Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Local Priming Of Long-Lived Tcf1+ Memory Cd8+ T Cell Responses In The Spleen During Influenza Virus Infection By Lung Derived Migratory Dendritic Cells, Meagan Jenkins
All ETDs from UAB
Initiation of CD8+ T cell responses to influenza virus infection requires the trafficking of activated lung-migratory dendritic cells (mDCs) from the lung into the lung-draining mediastinal LN (med-LN). As such, when mDCs are absent from the lungs or are unable to migrate into the med-LN, T cell responses are severely compromised, and the mortality rate increases in mouse models of influenza infection. Importantly, it is generally considered that mDCs die shortly after reaching the med-LN. Thus, the current paradigm suggests that priming of all subsets of influenza-specific CD8+ T cell responses by mDCs takes place solely in the med-LN. Recent …
Heads Or Tails? Structural Studies Of Host Interaction And Molecular Piracy In Bacteriophages, James Lewis Kizziah
Heads Or Tails? Structural Studies Of Host Interaction And Molecular Piracy In Bacteriophages, James Lewis Kizziah
All ETDs from UAB
Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic human pathogen dependent mainly on bacteriophages (phages) for dissemination of the virulence factors that contribute to its pathogenicity. Most phages have double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes which are packaged into protein capsids attached to tails of varying morphology to form their complete virion structures. S. aureus pathogenicity islands (SaPIs) are highly specialized mobile genetic elements that encode various virulence factors and have been named molecular pirates for their ability to parasitize certain helper phages. SaPI1 is capable of hijacking virions constructed by the helper phage 80α, partly by altering the size of the capsid to only …
The Impact Of Blimp1 On Etreg Stability And The Tumor Microenvironment, Michael Dixon
The Impact Of Blimp1 On Etreg Stability And The Tumor Microenvironment, Michael Dixon
All ETDs from UAB
CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells are responsible for maintaining immunological homeostasis and self-tolerance through the regulation of immune responses against foreign and self-antigens, and they comprise both central Treg and effector Treg (eTreg) subsets. Because of their ability to suppress potent immune responses, eTreg cells expressing the transcription factor Blimp1 are frequently recruited to the tumor microenvironment (TME) to suppress anti-tumor responses by tumor infiltrating effector cells. Here, we demonstrate in murine transplantable tumor models that Blimp1 is required for intratumoral eTreg stability and that loss of Blimp1 by intratumoral eTreg cells results in their reduced suppressive activity and …
Beyond Apoptosis: Insight Into The Complex Intracellular Networks That Govern Cell Fate, Hayley Neal Widden
Beyond Apoptosis: Insight Into The Complex Intracellular Networks That Govern Cell Fate, Hayley Neal Widden
All ETDs from UAB
The determination of cell fate is a dynamic process regulated by hundreds of proteins that converge into complex cell signaling pathways. Upon irreparable intracellular stress, a cell undergoes programmed cell death, a process known as intrinsic apoptosis. Apoptosis is regulated by the Bcl-2 family, a class of proteins that act either as pro-survival or pro-death signaling molecules. Due to the oncogenic upregulation of pro- survival Bcl-2 family proteins across human cancer cell types, a novel class of small molecule inhibitors called ‘BH3-mimetics’ have emerged as promising anti-cancer therapeutics currently under clinical investigation. Here, we highlight the crosstalk between anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 …
The Role Of Cd38 In Anti-Tumor Immunity And Tumor Immune Evasion, Panpan Yuan
The Role Of Cd38 In Anti-Tumor Immunity And Tumor Immune Evasion, Panpan Yuan
All ETDs from UAB
CD38 is a multifunctional protein that is expressed in many immune cells, modulating NAD metabolism, inflammation and oxidative stress. Recent studies suggest that CD38 is also implicated in tumor immunosuppression. However, the role of CD38 in anti-tumor immunity and tumor immune evasion, and mechanisms involved, are still unclear. We hypothesized that CD38 expression by immune cells constricts T cell-mediated anti-tumor immune responses and promotes tumor cell immune evasion. We investigated whether mice lacking CD38 (CD38-/-) had impaired tumor growth in subcutaneous, intraperitoneal and intravenous syngeneic tumor models. CD38-/- mice showed no difference in subcutaneous B16 melanoma tumor growth and pulmonary …
Suppressing Islet Graft Rejection With Antioxidant-Based Encapsulation Materials, Jessie Marie Barra
Suppressing Islet Graft Rejection With Antioxidant-Based Encapsulation Materials, Jessie Marie Barra
All ETDs from UAB
A hallmark of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells. Once the β-cells are lost, patients are reliant on less efficient exogenous insulin therapies to maintain glycemic control, leaving them at risk for secondary complications. Islet transplantation can restore the ability to regulate glucose levels without the need for exogenous insulin, however long-term islet graft survival has proven challenging in part due to ongoing immune-mediated destruction. Systemic immunosuppression strategies have proven somewhat effective at preventing rejection, but chronic use leaves the patient susceptible to opportunistic infections and organ toxicity. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as …
Mechanism Of Stat3 Mediated Drug Persistence In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells, Sweta B. Patel
Mechanism Of Stat3 Mediated Drug Persistence In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells, Sweta B. Patel
All ETDs from UAB
Drug persistence is one of the major impediments for cancer therapeutics. There are two known evolutionary models for tumor drug persistence. First, a pre-existing sub-population is inherently resistant to treatment; and second, a sub-population acquires resistance by drug-induced molecular reprograming. One ideal model to study the mechanism of drug persistence is chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) disorder. HSCs acquire a single translocation between chromosome 9 and 22, forming BCR-ABL, a constitutively active tyrosine kinase. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), the standard regimen, have been able to efficaciously control CML and yet many patients relapse upon treatment discontinuation …
Transcriptional Regulation And Islet Transplantation Advantages Of Brown Adipose Tissue, Jessica D. Kepple
Transcriptional Regulation And Islet Transplantation Advantages Of Brown Adipose Tissue, Jessica D. Kepple
All ETDs from UAB
Metabolic disease encompasses various disorders, including obesity and diabetes, that negatively impact glucose and lipid homeostasis and increase the risk of co-morbidities. Adipose tissue, which regulates whole-body energy balance and acts as a specialized endocrine tissue, is negatively affected by obesity and diabetes. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) functions to dissipate excess energy as heat and therefore is an attractive target against metabolic disease. To develop more effective therapeutic strategies, BAT physiology and genetic regulatory mechanisms need to be better understood. This dissertation highlights studies seeking to illuminate novel transcriptional regulation and islet transplantation applications of BAT. We investigated the requirement …
Understanding The Role Of Biomechanics In Ovarian Cancer Biology, Alba Martinez Diaz
Understanding The Role Of Biomechanics In Ovarian Cancer Biology, Alba Martinez Diaz
All ETDs from UAB
Mechanical forces including compression, tension, and shear stress are increasingly implicated as instigators of tumor progression. Understanding how mechanobiology drives ovarian cancer is critical to identifying potential therapies. The effect of shear stress is beginning to be studied in ovarian cancer due to the presence of ascites in the peritoneal cavity that prompts tumor cells detachment and implantation in secondary sites. Therefore, mechanical cues are present within the peritoneal cavity. A growing ovarian tumor mass also experiences compressive and tensile forces, although their participation in tumor progression still remains unclear. Additionally, there is a specific lack of incorporation of mechanobiology …
A Role For Inf-Ɣ-Inducble Transcription Factors In Antibody Secreting Cell Differentiation, Jessica N. Peel
A Role For Inf-Ɣ-Inducble Transcription Factors In Antibody Secreting Cell Differentiation, Jessica N. Peel
All ETDs from UAB
Viral infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Within a viral, interferon (IFN)-ɣ-driven inflammatory microenvironment, B cells may produce antibody which is critical for rapid viral clearance and continued protection from reinfection. However, the roles of IFN-ɣ and IFN-ɣ-induced transcription factors (TFs) in driving antibody secreting cell (ASC) development from their B cell precursors are poorly understood. Herein, we identify two IFN-ɣ-inducible transcription factors (TFs), T-bet and interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1), that are essential for the differentiation of ASCs from IFN-g-activated B cell precursors. T-bet repressed an IFN-ɣ-inducible inflammatory gene program that was incompatible with ASC formation …
Analysing The Contribution Of Snare-Dependent Exocytosis From Astrocytes To Huntinton's Disease Pathogenesis Using The Bachd Mouse Model, Annesha C. King
Analysing The Contribution Of Snare-Dependent Exocytosis From Astrocytes To Huntinton's Disease Pathogenesis Using The Bachd Mouse Model, Annesha C. King
All ETDs from UAB
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the huntingtin protein. Multiple studies have indicated the importance of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) in astrocytes to HD pathogenesis. Increased extracellular glutamate levels were observed after evoking SNARE-dependent exocytosis from cultured mHTT expressing astrocytes. To determine whether astrocytic SNARE-dependent exocytosis contributed to behavioral and neuropathological changes in vivo, we crossed BACHD mice to dominant negative SNARE (dnSNARE) mice and analyzed behavioral and neuropathological phenotypes. First, we found that reduc-ing astrocytic SNARE-dependent exocytosis had differential effects on the psychiatric-like and motor phenotypes observed in BACHD mice where …
Biological Pathways And Processes Underlying The Cardiac Regenerative Response Post-Injury In Small And Large Mammals, Eric Yang Zhang
Biological Pathways And Processes Underlying The Cardiac Regenerative Response Post-Injury In Small And Large Mammals, Eric Yang Zhang
All ETDs from UAB
Mammalian cardiomyocytes exit the cell-cycle shortly after birth. Consequently, the adult heart is unable to properly compensate for cardiac muscle lost to injury. As such, heart failure has remained the leading cause of death in the developed world for more than three decades. In this work, we illustrate our findings in using novel in-vivo animal models to examine two regenerative phenomena observed following myocardial injury:i.) neonate cardiomyocyte proliferation in large mammals ii.) the ‘paracrine effect’ as mediated by mesenchymal stromal cells In i.) we use a large animal model of myocardial injury during the early postnatal develop-mental stage to establish …
Hyperphosphatemia Contributes To Functional Iron Deficiency And Skeletal Muscle Wasting, Brian Anthony Czaya
Hyperphosphatemia Contributes To Functional Iron Deficiency And Skeletal Muscle Wasting, Brian Anthony Czaya
All ETDs from UAB
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health threat that increases risk of death, which is credible to both impaired renal function and a multitude of CKD- associated comorbidities such as systemic inflammation, anemia and skeletal muscle dys- function. A distinctive feature of CKD is the dysregulation of mineral metabolism, where excess serum levels of phosphate (hyperphosphatemia) and of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) are not only viewed as biomarkers for disease severity but also exert deleterious effects towards various CKD-associated pathologies. Elevated levels of FGF23 can lead to the activation of FGF receptor 4 (FGFR4) in cell types that …
Targeting Oncogenic Microrna In Lung Cancer, Mackenzie Lauren Davenport
Targeting Oncogenic Microrna In Lung Cancer, Mackenzie Lauren Davenport
All ETDs from UAB
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death both in the United Statesand the world. While several genetic drivers of lung cancer have been identified, major improvements in patient outcome are lacking, highlighting the need to further understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms of this disease. The microRNA miR-31 has been implicated in oncogenesis in a variety of cancer types, and prior data from our laboratory has shown it to be overexpressed in human lung adenocarcinoma tumors compared to normal lung, high miR-31 levels correlate with decreased patient survival, and overexpression of miR-31 alone in the mouse lung epithelium …
Inducible T Cell Costimulator Stabilizes Regulatory T Cell Phenotype And Controls Host-Microbiota Interactions To Reduce Susceptibility To Intestinal Inflammation, Ashley Elizabeth Landuyt
Inducible T Cell Costimulator Stabilizes Regulatory T Cell Phenotype And Controls Host-Microbiota Interactions To Reduce Susceptibility To Intestinal Inflammation, Ashley Elizabeth Landuyt
All ETDs from UAB
Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a loss-of-function mutation in the gene encoding inducible T cell costimulator ligand (ICOSL) as correlating with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The reason for this association was largely unknown. ICOS signals have been implicated in controlling the dynamics of regulatory T (Treg) cells, which are essential to intestinal homeostasis. Compared to WT mice, ICOS-deficient mice possessed fewer Treg cells in the colonic lamina propria (cLP). The deficit in ICOS-deficient Treg cell numbers was attributable to preferential loss of Foxp3 expression. Bisulfite sequencing revealed that ICOS-deficient Treg cells did not demethylate conserved noncoding sequence 2 …
Investigating Pathological Features Of Tdp-43 In Neurodegeneration, Joshua Mathew Marcus
Investigating Pathological Features Of Tdp-43 In Neurodegeneration, Joshua Mathew Marcus
All ETDs from UAB
Transactivation response element (TAR) DNA binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) is an essential RNA-binding protein required for coordinating multiple aspects of RNA metabolism. TDP-43 is multifunctional in both nuclear and cytoplasmic cellular compartments and shuttling in and out of the nucleus is an integral part of TDP-43 function. Nuclear depletion and cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43, aggregation of TDP-43 within inclusion bodies in the cytoplasm, and aberrant post-translational modifications and truncation of TDP-43 are all common pathological features of neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Localization of TDP-43 is connected to essential …
Mucus Matters: Mucociliary Physiology In Chronic Lung Diseases, Jacelyn Emily Peabody Lever
Mucus Matters: Mucociliary Physiology In Chronic Lung Diseases, Jacelyn Emily Peabody Lever
All ETDs from UAB
The mucociliary escalator is an innate defense mechanism in the lung comprised of the ciliated, pseudostratified epithelium that lines the conducting airways and the mucus that sits atop the cilia. Mucus traps inhaled particulate matter/pathogens, and the cilia brush works in concert to propel the mucin gel proximally. Therefore, proper mucociliary physiology is critical to maintaining lung health. A metachronal wave propagated across the epithelium can occur when the phase of the ciliary stroke is shifted in time relative to its neighbors. Metachrony has been hypothesized to help overcome the viscoelastic forces required for the propulsion of mucus. Still, its …
Alternative Splicing Of Anxa7 Dictates Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Fates In Glioblastoma, Sindhu Nair
Alternative Splicing Of Anxa7 Dictates Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Fates In Glioblastoma, Sindhu Nair
All ETDs from UAB
Alternative splicing (AS) is a tightly regulated process essential for lineage specification in complex tissues like the brain. Dysregulated splicing in glioblastoma (GBM) is a mechanism exploited by tumor cells to retain or splice out exons consequently rewiring isoform-specific protein interactions to sustain tumor phenotypes. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) amplifications are frequent events in GBM driving tumor growth and progression and are key targets for chemotherapy. However, RTK targeting in GBM has achieved limited success predominantly due to adaptive mechanisms of resistance in a constantly evolving tumor microenvironment. Clonal populations and crosstalk between RTKs sustain heterogeneity within a tumor leading …
Biomarker And Target Discovery In Cancer, Alyncia Dominique Robinson
Biomarker And Target Discovery In Cancer, Alyncia Dominique Robinson
All ETDs from UAB
Cancer is a complex disease characterized by uncontrolled growth of transformed cells that can arise in many tissue types throughout the body (e.g., breast, lung, prostate, pancreas, lymph nodes) and is a major cause of death worldwide. Cancer progression resulting in aggressive or metastatic disease accounts for one of the leading causes of death worldwide, second only to heart disease in the US. Incidentally, cancer-related mortality has been on a steady decline, dropping 25% over the last 25 years [1]. This could be attributed to improved and earlier diagnoses and better treatment options being developed over the past few decades. …
Assesing The Degree Of Intereron Gamma Induced Stat1 Activation On Peripheral Lymphocytes In Patietns With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Vishal Sharma
Assesing The Degree Of Intereron Gamma Induced Stat1 Activation On Peripheral Lymphocytes In Patietns With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Vishal Sharma
All ETDs from UAB
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease with debilitating side effects, from joint swelling to bone erosion and bone deformation. Geographically, RA affect 0.5 – 1% of the worldwide populations, affecting women more than men. Studies have shown that CD4 T cells infiltrate RA synovium and are key to the pathogenesis of RA. Furthermore, drugs targeting co-stimulatory T cell molecules such as abatacept can be beneficial in controlling RA disease activity.Interferon gamma (IFN) is a pleotropic cytokine that contributes to inflammation by aiding in CD4 T cell differentiation into Th1 subtype, enhancing MHC class II presentation, supplementing lymphocyte trafficking, …
Experience-Dependent Plasticitiy Of Functional Connectivity In Human Visual Cortex Following Central Vision Loss, Leland Lanelle Fleming
Experience-Dependent Plasticitiy Of Functional Connectivity In Human Visual Cortex Following Central Vision Loss, Leland Lanelle Fleming
All ETDs from UAB
The human brain is shaped by a dynamic interplay between innate factors and life experiences. Neuroscience has long grappled with understanding this relationship, particularly with regard to how changes in experience impact the brain during adulthood. This question is especially important in the context of macular degeneration, a disease that causes significant visual impairment and drastically alters day-to-day visual experiences for individuals afflicted by the disease. Specifically, people with macular degeneration lose the ability to use vision in the center of the visual field, the region of the retina with the highest spatial resolution. Subsequently, these individuals must rely on …
Tau-Sh3 Interactions And Alzheimer's Disease, Jonathan Roth
Tau-Sh3 Interactions And Alzheimer's Disease, Jonathan Roth
All ETDs from UAB
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, and its impact will increase with an aging population. It is characterized by dementia associated with accumulation of extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, intracellular hyperphosphorylated Tau tangles, and neurodegeneration. Additionally, network hyperexcitability occurs early in AD and likely contributes to disease pathogenesis. Current therapies provide minor delay of disease progression at best, so it is imperative to develop novel therapeutic approaches to prevent and treat AD. As Tau pathology correlates better with cognitive function than Aβ pathology and Tau reduction prevents Aβ-induced dysfunction in preclinical models, targeting Tau is a growing …
Characterization Of Rna Polymerase I Trigger Loop Mutations, Collin Ainslie
Characterization Of Rna Polymerase I Trigger Loop Mutations, Collin Ainslie
All ETDs from UAB
RNA polymerases are primarily multi-subunit enzymes that synthesize RNAs from template DNA strands. RNA polymerase I (Pol I) is the eukaryotic RNA polymerase that synthesizes the majority of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) for ribosome production. These include the 5.8S, 28S, and 18S rRNAs which are synthesized from a polycistronic gene in the nucleolus. The rRNAs synthesized by Pol I, the 5S rRNA, & ribosomal proteins come together to synthesize ribosomes through ribosome biogenesis. Dysregulation of Pol I activity has been established to contribute to dysregulation of ribosome biogenesis and disease state development. These conditions include but are not limited to Cincinnati …
Structural Changes To Desmosomal Architecture During Assembly And Maturation, Reena R. Beggs
Structural Changes To Desmosomal Architecture During Assembly And Maturation, Reena R. Beggs
All ETDs from UAB
Desmosomes are macromolecular junctions important in adhesion and resisting mechanical stress in epithelial and cardiac tissue. Desmosomes have a complex architecture with transmembrane cadherins, desmogleins and desmocollins, constituting the adhesive interface and plaque proteins, including plakoglobin and desmoplakin, binding the cadherin tails and integrating with intermediate filaments. Dysregulation of desmosomes occurs in many disease states, such as cardiomyopathies, skin diseases, and various cancers. While mature desmosomes' structure is generally understood, less is known about desmosome architecture during assembly and recycling. Desmosomes are dynamic, biochemically intractable, and diffraction-limited, making them challenging to study. To overcome these obstacles, I applied the super-resolution …
Implications Of Genetic Variation On Patient Disease And Therapeutic Options, Ashlee Long
Implications Of Genetic Variation On Patient Disease And Therapeutic Options, Ashlee Long
All ETDs from UAB
Advancements in sequencing technology have enabled the widespread utilization of genetic testing, increasing the diagnosis and understanding of genetic disease. Clinicians and researchers are now faced with the difficulty of interpreting genetic results and understanding how genetic variation can impact patient disease phenotype. Herein we utilized three different genes (frataxin, neurofibromin 1, and NTRK2), which result in Friedreich’s Ataxia (FRDA), Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), and NTRK2-associated phenotypes respectively, to discuss the impacts of genetic variants on molecular phenotype and explore potential therapeutics. To determine how genetic variation of repeat sequences affects different patient tissues, DNA and protein were extracted from …
The Impact Posttraumatic Stress Disorde On The Developing Brain And Educational Considerations, Kristen N. Buford
The Impact Posttraumatic Stress Disorde On The Developing Brain And Educational Considerations, Kristen N. Buford
All ETDs from UAB
About 90% of the population will experience a traumatic event within their lifetime, but only a small percentage of this population will develop Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD has a profound impact on the developing brain, specifically neural circuits that support fear learning, memory, and regulation processes. Child PTSD is associated with structural and functional abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and anterior cingulate cortex, which effect emotion regulation, memory, threat processing, and fear extinction. These neurological effects on the developing brain have serious implications for academic achievement, but with institutional interventions, schools have been able to effectively reduce …
Sialylation As A Novel Mechanism Of Radiation Resistance In Rectal Cancer, Mary Smithson
Sialylation As A Novel Mechanism Of Radiation Resistance In Rectal Cancer, Mary Smithson
All ETDs from UAB
Locally advanced rectal cancer is treated with chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery. Most patients do not have a complete response to chemoradiotherapy, and the resistance mechanisms are poorly understood. We investigated the role of ST6GAL-1 in therapeutic resistance. ST6GAL-1 is a sialytransferase that adds the negatively charged sugar, sialic acid (Sia), to cell surface proteins in the Golgi altering their function. We hypothesized that ST6GAL-1 mediates resistance to chemoradiation in rectal cancer by inhibiting apoptosis. Patient derived xenograft (PDX) and organoid models of rectal cancer as well as rectal cancer cell lines SW837 and SW620 were assessed for ST6GAL-1 protein with …
Regulation Of Nitric Oxide Syntahse 3 By Histone Deacetylase, Luke S. Dunaway
Regulation Of Nitric Oxide Syntahse 3 By Histone Deacetylase, Luke S. Dunaway
All ETDs from UAB
In the vasculature, nitric oxide is produced by nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) and protects against the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a family of enzymes responsible for lysine deacetylation of both histone and non-histone proteins. Understanding how NO signaling is regulated by HDACs will allow us to better understand how HDAC inhibitors may be of use in treating CVD. This dissertation seeks to provide novel insight into the regulation of NOS3 by this family of enzymes. Endothelial NO production is impaired in human subjects and rodents fed a high salt diet (HS). We have …
Studies On Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae Biofilm Persistence & Redox Homeostasis In Chronic Bacterial Diseases, Benjamin C. Hunt
Studies On Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae Biofilm Persistence & Redox Homeostasis In Chronic Bacterial Diseases, Benjamin C. Hunt
All ETDs from UAB
Bacterial biofilms, or surface-adherent bacterial communities surrounded by a self-produced extracellular polymeric matrix, are ubiquitous. They are found throughout Earth’s ecosystems, in the soil and waterways, and more pressingly for the medical community, they are found within humans. Bacterial biofilms are associated with a multitude of diseases and their involvement significantly complicates treatment given that bacteria growing within a biofilm are extremely more resistant to antibiotics and immune effectors. Thus, the need to better understand biofilm biology and find ways to disrupt and/or sensitize biofilms to medical treatment is significant. The goal of the research presented herein was to investigate …
Combining Meg And Fmri To Examine Dynamic Task-Related Brain Activity With High Spatio-Temporal Resolution, Sangeeta Nair
Combining Meg And Fmri To Examine Dynamic Task-Related Brain Activity With High Spatio-Temporal Resolution, Sangeeta Nair
All ETDs from UAB
The characterization of brain networks contributing to healthy learning and memory can inform abnormalities and treatment approaches among clinical populations. A recent shift from lesion-based to network-based approaches of studying healthy and atypical brain development highlights the need for a more comprehensive understanding across spatiotemporal domains, particularly in the case of high-level cognitive processes. Both, associative learning and working memory involve distributed and interconnected networks of specialized brain regions. Dynamic communication within- and betweensuch systems are unable to be fully resolved by individual non-invasive imaging techniques such as fMRI or MEG. While fMRI serves as an ideal tool to investigate …