Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Waddington’S Widget: Hsp90 And The Inheritance Of Acquired Characters, Douglas M. Ruden, Mark D. Garfinkel, Vincent E. Sollars, Xiangyi Lu

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Conrad Waddington published an influential model for evolution in his 1942 paper, Canalization of Development and Inheritance of Acquired Characters. In this classic, albeit controversial, paper, he proposed that an unknown mechanism exists that conceals phenotypic variation until the organism is stressed. Recent studies have proposed that the highly conserved chaperone Hsp90 could function as a “capacitor,” or an “adaptively inducible canalizer,” that masks silent phenotypic variation of either genetic or epigenetic origin. This review will discuss evidence for, and arguments against, the role of Hsp90 as a capacitor for morphological evolution, and as a key component of what …

Effect Of Low-Carbohydrate, Unlimited Calorie Diet On The Treatment Of Childhood Obesity: A Prospective Controlled Study, James R. Bailes Jr., Misty T. Strow, Joseph Werthammer, Richard A. Mcginnis, Yoram Elitsur

Pediatrics

Background: Childhood obesity has been recognized as the new epidemic in developed countries. Caloric restriction with physical activity is the main therapeutic treatment available for these children. We compared two different dietary protocols to assess treatment efficacy.

Methods: Obese children from the Pediatric Endocrinology clinic were prospectively recruited for the study. Children and their parents were allowed to choose one of two dietary protocols: (1) carbohydrate restricted diet (<30 g/day), with unlimited calories, protein, and fat (High protein, Low CHO Diet), and (2) calorie restricted diet (Low Cal Diet). Anthropometric data were measured at baseline and at the 2 month follow up appointment.

Results: Thirty-seven children completed the study of whom 27 chose High Protein, Low CHO Diet and 10 chose Low Cal diet. No differences in gender ratio, age, or …

High Dietary Level Of Synthetic Vitamin E On Lipid Peroxidation, Membrane Fatty Acid Composition And Cytotoxicity In Breast Cancer Xenograft And In Mouse Host Tissue, Ivan L. Cameron, Jesus Munoz, Christopher J. Barnes, W. Elaine Hardman

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Background

d-α-tocopherol is a naturally occurring form of vitamin E not previously known to have antitumor activity. Synthetic vitamin E (sE) is a commonly used dietary supplement consisting of a mixture of d-α-tocopherol and 7 equimolar stereoisomers. To test for antilipid peroxidation and for antitumor activity of sE supplementation, two groups of nude mice bearing a MDA-MB 231 human breast cancer tumor were fed an AIN-76 diet, one with and one without an additional 2000 IU/kg dry food (equivalent to 900 mg of all-rac-α-tocopherol or sE). This provided an intake of about 200 mg/kg body weight per day. The mice …

Synergistic Interactions Of Chlorambucil, Dha, And Trail In Jurkat And H460 Human Cancer Cells, Jennifer Ellen Bush-O'Donnell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Traditional chemotherapeutic drugs are prone to toxicity and may result in secondary cancers. In recent years much attention has been garnered by alternate methods of cancer treatment with fewer side effects, including immunotherapy and administration of ω-3 fatty acids, both of which have been shown to cause apoptosis in cancer cells. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a fatty acid, is a normal component of cell membranes and is safe for systemic administration. The cytokine TRAIL (tumor necrosis factorrelated apoptosis-inducing ligand) is able to induce apoptosis in cancer cells while sparing normal tissue. In this study, the alkylating agent chlorambucil (CLB) was combined …

Patients’ Perceptions Of Nurse Caring Behaviors In An Emergency Department, Lynn Kimble

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to (a) determine which caring behaviors of the nurse do patients’ perceive as being the most and the least important, (b) examine patients’ perceptions of nurse caring behaviors in relationship to their age and perception of illness; and (c) compare and contrast responses between patients and parents of children who are patients. Data for this questionnaire (N = 59) were collected over a two-month period at a not-for-profit, teaching hospital, which specializes in the care of women and children in an Appalachian state located in the southeastern United States. The Caring Behaviors Assessment instrument …

Correlation Between Time To Peak Torque And Peak Torque To Vertical Jump In College Age Athletes, Craig Adam Kowalski

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The vertical jump is an essential part of athletics to gain an advantage over the opponent. Isokinetic testing provides quantitative data to determine power and how fast power or peak torque is achieved. In this study, after 20 NCAA Div. II athletes were measured for three trials of maximal vertical jump, they completed an isokinetic test of knee extension at speeds of 60, 180, and 300°/sec. The results showed a significant correlation (p<0.05) between peak torque at a speed of 300°/sec and vertical jump p<=0.019. As a result of this study it was found that the vertical jump test is a test of muscle power generated by the quadriceps muscle group, and relates to peak torque values documented by isokinetic testing at 300°/sec of knee extension.

Parental Satisfaction In A Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Victoria S. Koontz

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify if the factors which indicate parental satisfaction of parents who have children admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) were being attained. The research questions were: 1) Was there a relationship between healthcare environment and parent satisfaction; 2) Was there a relationship between patient care and parent satisfaction; 3) Was there a relationship between communication and parent satisfaction? Parental satisfaction will be defined as meeting the parent’s perceived needs of the child and family during admission to the PICU (McPherson, 1999). This study used McPherson’s Parental Satisfaction Survey (PSS). The …

Current Trends In Athletic Training Education And Certification In Japan, Yuriko Ohashi

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Athletic trainer is a well-established profession in the U.S., but its definition is unclear in Japan because of no certification until recently. Japan Amateur Sports Association (JASA) has started in curriculum to prepare, educate and certify athletic trainers since 1994. This study researched the current trends in athletic training education and certification in Japan. It defines the historical and present athletic training situation, and clarifies education and certification with questionnaires. Questionnaires were sent to 43 sports medicine professors at JASA athletic trainer accredited and non-accredited program schools, and 26 (61%) responses were returned. The current problems include lack of clinical …

Detection Of Forces And Body Load In Standing And Walking In The American Cockroach, J. Adam Noah

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Sense organs in the legs that detect body weight are an important component in the regulation of posture and locomotion. This thesis seeks to gain an understanding of how body weight is detected by sense organs of the legs, and determine how this information influences muscle activities in standing and walking. The first study tested the ability of tibial campaniform sensilla (receptors that monitor forces in the cockroach leg) to encode variations in body load using magnets attached to the thorax. Recordings of sensory activities in freely standing animals showed that proximal tibial sensilla (oriented perpendicular to the leg long …

Phosphoproteomic Studies Of Smooth Muscle Contraction: Investigation Of Differential Phosphorylation In Relaxed/Contracted Rat Aortic Smooth Muscle Tissue Using Maldi-Tof Ms, Tonya M. Pekar

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Many human disorders are associated with the malfunction of smooth muscle tissue, or are related to the capabilities of its proper function—asthma, glaucoma, renal inefficiency, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Dysfunctional proteins are frequently implicated as the source of such disorders. As the second highest cause of death in the United States, the epidemic of cardiovascular disease makes the study of smooth muscle of utmost concern.

The capabilities of proteomics and mass spectrometry allow the entire proteome complement of a cell or tissue type to be analyzed at once. This investigation employs such techniques in an effort to better understand the …

Utilization Of Emergency Policies And Procedures By Division I-A And Division I-Aa Intercollegiate Athletic Programs, Brandy A. Petty

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The need for an established emergency policy and procedures plan in the college and university setting has been confirmed by various organizations such as: National Safety Council (NSC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). The duty of these emergency policies and procedures is twofold. The first is to provide immediate care to student-athletes in an emergency situation. The second purpose is to avoid liability issues that may arise following an emergency situation. The premise behind the establishment and …

The Neural Connectivity Of The Torus Semicircularis In The Cave Dwelling Form Of Astyanax Fasciatus, Timothy B. Angel

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Afferent projections of the torus semicircularis were traced in the blind cave form of Astyanax fasciatus using HRP tract-tracing techniques, and the results were compared to those found in previous studies of closely related sighted teleosts.

Following unilateral injections of tracer to the nucleus centralis of the torus semicircularis, retrogradely labeled cells were found in two octaval nuclei of the medulla. The descending octavolateralis nucleus was labeled bilaterally and the anterior octaval nucleus was labeled primarily on the ipsilateral side. Both the descending and anterior octavolateralis nuclei are known to receive auditory input from CN VIII in sighted fish. In …

The Characterization Of Two Differentially Expressed Plasma Proteins In Obese Versus Lean Rats In Two Rodent Models Of Obesity, Roger D. Boggs

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Zucker fa and La/N faf rats are widely studied models of genetic obesity and its complications. These two rodent models of obesity were utilized to search for a circulating protein marker for obesity. Plasma samples from both of these models of obesity were collected and analyzed via SDS-PAGE analysis. Two proteins were found which demonstrate differential expression between lean and obese rats. Both proteins demonstrated increased expression in the obese rats compared to the lean. One differentially expressed protein migrated on SDS-PAGE gels at 116 KD while the second migrated at 22 KD compared to molecular weight markers. The 22 …

Expanding Self-Direction In Services For The Aged And People With Disabilities, Ruth A. Burgess

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Medicaid-funded long-term care services are traditionally delivered in nursing homes. States may apply for waivers which allow them to provide home and community based services with Medicaid funds. Because these services are by definition an alternative to nursing home care, waiver services are generally based upon a medical model which emphasizes medical deficits and tends to restrict consumers’ movements to inside the home. Recent developments such as the Olmstead Decision and federal New Freedom Initiatives have caused states to recognize that consumers desire and have a legal right to be part of a community rather than institutionalized or homebound. These …

A Rural Hospital's Organ Donation Referral Pattern : A Pilot Study, Chris F. Carter

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

It is unclear if hospitals correctly refer all potential organ donors to Organ Procurement Organizations. Unidentified or mis-referred patients may be present in rural acute care Appalachian hospitals. A one-year nonexperimental retrospective descriptive study was used to review medical records in one rural Appalachian hospital. Data from the chart review indicated that of the total (n = 34) patients, sixty-eight percent (n = 23) were properly referred as cardiac standstill and six percent (n = 2) were properly reported as brain dead. However, nine percent (n = 3) were not referred to the OPO (unidentified). Eighteen percent (n = 6) …

A Mechanistic Study In The Nephrotoxicity Of P-Aminophenol, R. Christopher Harmon

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The acetaminophen metabolite, p-aminophenol (PAP), is a known nephrotoxicant. The current study is directed at understanding the mechanism of this nephrotoxicity. Renal cortical slices isolated from F344 rats were incubated with 0 – 0.5 mM PAP with or without pretreatments. Renal slices exposed to PAP showed toxicity as measured by increased lactate dehydrogenase leakage (LDH), decreased pyruvate-stimulated gluconeogenesis, and decreased total adenine nucleotides. There was, however, an increase in ATP as percent of total, implying maintained mitochondrial function. These data show that PAP is directly toxic to renal cortical slices. Pretreatment with EDTA or EGTA provided protection from PAP- induced …

The Role Of Ap-1 Transcription Complex In Retinoic Acid-Dependent B16 Melanoma Cell Growth Arrest And Differentiation, Ying Huang

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Our laboratory has been studying the effects of all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) on the growth and differentiation of the B16 mouse melanoma cells. RA inhibits both anchorage-dependent and –independent growth and stimulates melanin production in B16 cells, which are accompanied by an increase in AP-1 activity. To further investigate the RA-induced AP-1 activity, I established clones of B16 stably expressing an AP-1-luciferase reporter gene. Treatment of these clones with phorbol dibutyrate (PDB), a known activator of AP-1, rapidly increased AP-1 activity which reached its maximum level at 2-4 h and returned to baseline level by 24 h. In contrast, RA …

Physician Incentives: Managed Care And Ethics, Douglas A. Mains, Alberto Coustasse, Kristine Lykens

Management Faculty Research

The authors review the principle features of the managed care system in an effort to understand the ethical assumptions inherent in managed care. The interrelationships among physician incentives, responsibilities of patients and the physician-patient relationship are examined in light of the ethical concerns identified in the managed care system. The managed care system creates ethical tensions for those who influence the allocation of scare resources. Managed care's administrative controls have increasingly changed the doctor-patient relationship to the businessperson-consumer relationship. Managed care goals of quality and access demand that physicians be both patient advocate and organizational advocate, even though these roles …