Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Melatonin On Heartbeat And Possible Identification Of A Melatonin Receptor In Drosophila Melanogaster, Tricia L. Vankirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1 of this manuscript is a literature review that serves as an introduction to the entire dissertation. Chapter 2 examines the effects of the melatonin injection on heart rate and rhythmicity in Drosophila melanogaster Canton-S (wild-type) pupae and pupae bearing a variety of heart mutations. Chapter 3 investigates further the possible mechanisms of melatonin’s ability to increase heart rhythmicity without significantly affecting heart rate. A melatonin antagonist, luzindole; a high-affinity melatonin agonist, 2-iodomelatonin and RNAi techniques are used to identify a possible melatonin receptor in Drosophila melanogaster.

An appendix contains a previously published manuscript detailing experiments performed at the …

Physical Activity Levels And Health Of Passamaquoddy Tribe At Indian Township, Michael R. Best

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on reporting the occupational, household, transportation and leisure time physical activity of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township. This study also focuses on health measures and the presence of chronic disease and how they are affected by physical activity, risk factors, and other health related measures.

An interview-administered questionnaire, developed by the CDC, was given to participants age 25-44 years old, with one small change. The original Intertribal Heart Project (ITHP) questionnaire used a shortened version of the WHO’s Monica Optional Study of Physical Activity (MOSPA), in order to reduce the time it takes to administer the …

Sleep-Related Arousal And Spontaneous Movement Properties In Methadone-Exposed Neonates: A Videographic Assessment On The First Or Second Postnatal Night, Hira Shrestha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prenatal substance exposure such as alcohol, nicotine, and opiates is known to modulate autonomic regulatory function during sleep, and to decrease arousability and spontaneous movements (SM). SM during sleep may reflect a protective mechanism for immature patterns of arousals. Neurodevelopmental compromise in sleep and arousal systems may underlie sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) risk in which infants expire during sleep. Previous studies from our laboratory found abnormal patterns of neonatal arousal, sleep fragmentation, and deficits in sleep-related SM in infants with prenatal alcohol exposure. In this study, prenatal exposure to methadone was hypothesized to disrupt the development of sleep and …

Characterization Of The Functional Role And Therapeutic Potential Of Microrna Mir-125a In Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Melanie Lorraine Ufkin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease marked by a highly variable clinical course and response to therapy. The average age of individuals diagnosed with AML is approximately 69 years old. Due to age of the patient and how quickly the disease progresses, many are unable to receive therapy, leading to death between 4 and 12 weeks after diagnosis. More effective and less cytotoxic treatments are crucial for those diagnosed with AML. Therefore my work has been focused on understanding genetic pathways altered within AML to develop new-targeted therapies. Specifically, I have been studying microRNAs (miR), which regulate proteins …

Cell-Matrix Adhesion In Muscle Development And Disease, Michelle F. Goody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A variety of diseases, both inherited and acquired, affect muscle tissues in humans. The anchoring of muscle fibers to their surrounding environment is critical for muscle homeostasis. Muscle fibers attach to their microenvironment through cell-matrix adhesion complexes. These anchoring complexes are placed under repeated stress during muscle contraction. Genetic mutations in these complexes weaken the attachment between muscle fibers and their microenvironment, making fibers more susceptible to damage and death. This increased fiber degeneration eventually leads to progressive muscle wasting diseases, known as congenital muscular dystrophies. Although clinical trials are ongoing, there is presently no way to cure the loss …

Examining The Role Of Specific Virulence Mechanisms During Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infection In A Zebrafish Model Of Cystic Fibrosis, Ryan T. Phennicie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal hereditary disease. CF is caused by recessive mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene and is associated with multi-­-organ defects resulting from improper ion transport across epithelial membranes. Chronic lung infection by the environmentally ubiquitous opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the subsequent hyperinflammation that occurs as the host immune system combats the bacterium cause substantial morbidity and mortality in CF. Despite numerous studies that have sought to elucidate the role of CFTR in the innate immune response, the links between CFTR, innate immunity, and P. aeruginosa infection remain …

Assessing Sleep Quality In Young Adult College Students, Aged 18 - 24 In Relation To Quality Of Life And Anthropometrics, Douglas Mathews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the impact of sleep on quality of life and anthropometrics in young adults. College students (n=218) were recruited through a variety of methods for a study on weight management for obesity prevention and randomized into control (n=108) or treatment (n=110) groups. Of those, 152 (71%) completed pre- and post-tests, including the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), scored 0-4 =normal and 5-21=disordered, (a=0.80), the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ), scored from 0-14=good quality of life to 15-36=poor quality of life, (ct=0.87), and anthropometrics. Statistical analyses included linear regression, one way ANOVA, chi-square analysis, and Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation. Significance …

Transcriptional Alterations During Mammary Tumor Progression In Mice And Humans, Karen Fancher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Family history, reproductive factors, hormonal exposures, and subjective immunihistochemical evaluations of in situ lesions, and to a lesser extent age, remain the best clinical predictors of an individual's risk of developing breast cancer. Identification of early markers predictive of impending invasive breast cancer from in situ carcinoma is a long-term goal. The latent mammary cancer transgenic mouse model of human breast cancer, C57BL/6JTg(WapTag)1Knw (Waptag1), develops characteristic stages of tumorigenesis in a highly predictable manner: atypical hyperplasia advances to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which progresses to papillary adenocarcinomas and/or solid, invasive tumors. Microarray analyses of whole mammary glands and tumors …

The Prevalence Of Voice Disorders In University Teaching Faculty, Kristen P. Higgins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

K-12 teachers are known to be at a higher than average risk for developing voice disorders. Less is known about the prevalence of voice disorders among teaching faculty in higher education. In this study, 100 university teaching faculty members were interviewed to assess possible voice problems. Information on risk factors such as demographic variables (i.e. gender and age) and health and behavioral variables (i.e. illness, use of tobacco, alcohol, and medications) was also gathered. The results were compared to published data on K-12 teachers and non-teachers. University professors reported significantly more cases of voice disorders than non-teaching professionals, but significantly …

"All For Health For All": The Local Dynamics Of Rural Public Health In Maine, 1885-1950, Martha Anne Eastman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following new discoveries in bacteriology, public health developed slowly in rural Maine during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, initially in response to communicable diseases and poor sanitation. The legislature created the Maine State Board of Health in 1885 and in 1887 required towns to appoint boards of health. Local responses to public health problems and disease control methods led to both cooperation and resistance. By the 1920s governmental and non-governmental health programs involved the participation of farmers, housewives, school children, women's club members, summer residents, business leaders and health professionals. Voluntary health organizations, such as the Maine Public …

The Role Of Osteopontin In Vascular Remodeling, Daniel Myers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic obstructive vascular disease is a major contributor to mortality in developed nations. The pathology typically involves neointima formation accompanied by vascular remodeling in the presence of inflammation. The disease can be modeled in animals with the response to a direct injury of the vasculature. This text describes a project examining the role of osteopontin (OPN) in vascular remodeling. The projectis goal was to mechanistically describe the contribution of OPN to the vascular injury response. The hypothesis that the presence of OPN affects the formation of neointima and constrictive remodeling associated with vascular injury was addressed using the strategy of …

Estimation Of Standardized Mortality Ratio In Geographic Epidemiology, Anna Kettermann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The analysis of geographic variation of disease and its representation on a map form an important topic of research in epidemiology and in public health in general. Identification of spatial heterogeneity of relative risk using morbidity and mortality data is required. The usual technique of disease atlas generation consists of data collection (observed number of disease cases). These data are collected during a continuous period of time (5 to 10 years). The second aspect of atlas creation relates to the analysis of these data. A traditional measure of the spatial variation is usually taken as a ratio of the number …

Planning For A Healthier Birth And Beyond: Strategies Women Use To Manage Gestational Diabetes, Lois C. Hamel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gestational diabetes, the most frequent pregnancy complication in the United States, puts mother and infant at risk for serious medical problems that can have lifelong sequelae. Maternal glucose control is crucial to a successful pregnancy outcome and often requires the mother to follow a strict medical regimen. Authors of previous studies have described the experience of gestational diabetes as stressful, overwhelming, and anxiety producing; and an association between maternal stress and glucose control has been documented. Authors of nursing studies have found that repeating information and providing support are essential when working with gestational diabetes patients, whose learning ability is …

Effect On Heartbeat Of Drosophila Melanogaster Of Mutations In The Calcium Channel Encoding Cacophony Gene And Its Interaction With The Rna Helicase Mutant Maleless^Napts, Vanessa Mcgowan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a lack of information concerning the genetics of heart disease, especially of those due to aberrant pacemaker activity. Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal candidate for research in this area because of its suitability to genetic manipulation and its accessible genetic database. What is most compelling, however, is that the genesis of heartbeat is Drosophila is strikingly similar to that in many other organisms, including mammals. The myogenic heart of DrosophiIa melanogaster is stimulated to contract by a caudal pacemaker, which is regulated by ion channel interactions. A voltage-gated calcium channel of PIQ- or N-type is implicated in the …

Evolution Of Lake Malawi Cichlid Fishes (Perciformes: Teleostei), Peter F. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The cichlid fish species flocks of East Africa provide a compelling model system in which to study the process of speciation. In Lake Malawi, greater than 1000 species of cichlids have emerged since the filling of the lake basin about 1 million years ago. Over 99% of the Lake Malawi haplochromine cichlids are endemic, suggesting that most of this diversification has taken place within the temporal and spatial boundaries set by the Lake's shores. Moreover, many of these species are endemic to small areas within the lake, indicating that speciation has occurred very recently or perhaps is in progress in …

The Adaptation Effect In Bilingual People Who Stutter: An Examination Of The Oral-Motor Rehearsal Theory, David L. Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study provided further information about stuttering among bilingual populations and attempted to assess the significance of repeated oral-motor movements during an adaptation task in two bilingual adults. This was accomplished by requesting that bilingual people who stutter to complete an adaptation task of the same written passage in two different languages. Explored was the following research question: In bilingual speakers who stutter, what is the effect of altering the oral-motor movements by changing the language of the passage read during an adaptation task? Two bilingual adults were each requested to complete an adaptation task consisting of 10 readings …

A Stage-Matched Smoking Cessation Profram For University Of Maine Student Smokers, Su-Ching Cheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that a stage-matched intervention will increase student smokers' readiness to quit smoking and progress in stage of behavior change. Forty-one University of Maine students, who were current smokers aged 18-24 years old, were recruited to participate in the study and were systematically divided into the experimental group and the control group. Participants' stage of change in smoking cessation was assessed, and different interventions were used to communicate with participants in the experimental group during the fall semester of This study illustrated the dynamics of behavioral change and the challenge of …

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Degradation By Novel Bacteria Isolated From Burrow Sediments Of Marine Benthic Macrofauna, Wai Ki Chung

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are significant environmental pollutants and represent a severe health threat. Many cosmopolitan areas including coastal environments are heavily impacted by PAH. This research investigates the isolation of PAH-degrading bacteria from burrow sediment of marine benthic macrofauna and their potential in bioremediation. Macrofaunal burrow sediment is biogeochemically distinct from bulk sediment and has high microbial activities. Samples were collected from a local uncontaminated cove and PAH degradation potential was measured by incubating sediment slurries with exogenous PAH. Burrow sediments from two polychaetes and a mollusc showed significantly higher PAH degradation potential than the bulk sediment. The degradation …

The Production Of Emotional Prosdy In Varying Severities Of Apraxia Of Speech, Steffany M. Van Putten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One mild AOS, one moderate AOS and one control speaker were asked to produce utterances with different emotional intent. In Experiment 1, the three subjects were asked to produce sentences with a happy, sad, or neutral intent through a repetition task. In Experiment 2, the three subjects were asked to produce sentences with either a happy or sad intent through a picture elicitation task. Paired t-tests comparing data from the acoustic analyses of each subject's utterances revealed significant differences between FO, duration, and intensity characteristics between the happy and sad sentences of the control speaker. There were no significant differences …