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Predictive Modeling Of Ocular Surface Disease States Using Multiple Inflammatory Biomarkers, John L. Bradley Jan 2015

Predictive Modeling Of Ocular Surface Disease States Using Multiple Inflammatory Biomarkers, John L. Bradley

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT Purpose The aim of this study was to adapt conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) and RNA isolation and processing procedures for gene expression analysis of ocular surface inflammatory biomarkers. The RNA yield and quality should be sufficient to enable quantitative real-time PCR of no less than 12 key target genes, with the goal of differentiating among dry eye groups. This study used the optimized inflammatory biomarker gene expression assay in a patient study to identify differences between dry eye and control participants. Materials and Methods CIC was used to collect conjunctival surface cells from 53 qualifying dry eye and control …


Difference In Recommended-To-Actual Nurse Staffing And Patient Falls, Shawn Ulreich Jan 2015

Difference In Recommended-To-Actual Nurse Staffing And Patient Falls, Shawn Ulreich

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Patient falls are a serious safety concern in hospitals. Injuries from falls can be devastating to patients and are now subject to reimbursement penalties from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Patient falls have been identified by the American Nurses Association as a nursing sensitive indictor suggesting that improvements in the quality or quantity of nurses may impact this outcome. Moreover, the literature suggests that nurse staffing levels have an impact on various patient outcomes such as patient falls. Therefore, identifying appropriate nurse staffing levels to minimize patient falls is critically important to hospitals. A variety of staffing metrics …


Investigating The Role Of Myristoylated Alanine Rich C Kinase Substrate's (Marcks's) Effector Domain In Lung And Brain Cancer Biology, Timothy D. Rohrbach Jan 2015

Investigating The Role Of Myristoylated Alanine Rich C Kinase Substrate's (Marcks's) Effector Domain In Lung And Brain Cancer Biology, Timothy D. Rohrbach

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In this study, we investigated the role MARCKS's Effector Domain plays in lung and brain cancer biology. Initially, we identified that MARCKS was present in a range of lung cancer histologies including: squamous cell, adenocarcinoma, and normal lung tissues among others. In addition, lung adenocarcinoma patients with a mutation in the MARCKS gene correlated with decreased survival as determined by The Cancer Genome Atlas. In vitro studies identified that the phosphorylation status of MARCKS's Effector Domain was able to influence lung cancer radiation sensitivity. When MARCKS's Effector Domain was in a non-phosphorylated state, A549 lung cancer cell lines experienced increased …


Transcriptional Regulation Of The Human Ribosomal Rna Gene, Blake L. Atwood Jan 2015

Transcriptional Regulation Of The Human Ribosomal Rna Gene, Blake L. Atwood

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The ribosome has the major role of synthesizing almost all the proteins of the cell. One of the main structural components of the ribosome are the ribosomal RNAs 18S, 28S, 5.8S and the 5S which are bound by numerous proteins to make up a fully functional unit. In the human genome there are approximately 400 copies of the rRNA gene, which contains all but the 5S rRNA in one long transcription unit. This gene is found in tandem repeats on the acrocentric arm of chromosomes 13, 14, 15, 21 and 22. It is critical that this gene is tightly regulated …


Socs3 Deficiency In Myeloid Cells Promotes Tumor Development, Hao Yu Jan 2015

Socs3 Deficiency In Myeloid Cells Promotes Tumor Development, Hao Yu

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STAT3 signaling is a major intrinsic pathway for cancer inflammation owing to its frequent activation in malignant cells, and key role in regulating many genes crucial for inflammation in the tumor microenvironment. Persistently activated STAT3 increases tumor cell proliferation, survival, and invasion while suppressing anti-tumor immunity. Suppressor Of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) proteins are negative regulators of the JAK/STAT pathway, and generally function as tumor suppressors. The absence of SOCS3 in particular leads to heightened activation of the STAT3 transcription factor. In the present study, we demonstrate that genetic deletion of SOCS3 specifically in myeloid cells significantly enhances tumor growth, which …


The Interrelationships Among Obesity, Insulin Sensitivity, And Bone Phenotype In Pre-Pubertal Girls, Anna L. Newton Jan 2015

The Interrelationships Among Obesity, Insulin Sensitivity, And Bone Phenotype In Pre-Pubertal Girls, Anna L. Newton

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Impaired insulin sensitivity as a consequence of childhood obesity has been implicated as a contributor to skeletal fragility. There is a need to understand the interrelationships among insulin sensitivity and skeletal parameters (i.e. cortical, trabecular, marrow) in obesity during the pubertal transition. Further, calorie restricted weight loss to stabilize these relationships warrants investigation as well. The goal of this project was to examine the relationships among body composition, skeletal parameters, and insulin sensitivity. The first aim was to evaluate the relationships among total body fat, bone mineral content (BMC) and femoral bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) during childhood and underlying …


Examining Parental And Neighborhood Factors As Moderators In A Youth Violence Prevention Pilot Study, Kendra Piper Jan 2015

Examining Parental And Neighborhood Factors As Moderators In A Youth Violence Prevention Pilot Study, Kendra Piper

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Youth violence is a significant and prevalent public health concern in the United States. Adolescents and young adults have the highest rates of violent crime perpetration and victimization. Youth violence is a complex problem involving multiple levels of influence that interact to diminish or increase risk and protective factors in high risk communities. Family and neighborhood factors have emerged as prominent influences on the risk of violent and delinquent behavior. Approaches to reducing risk behaviors in adolescence have moved beyond traditional risk-factor reduction to emphasize the importance of enhancing protective factors. Positive youth development programs have been found to be …


Within Session Repeatability Of The Tear Lab Osmolarity Test And Correlation With Other Clinical Tests For Dry Eye, Pearl Shin Jan 2015

Within Session Repeatability Of The Tear Lab Osmolarity Test And Correlation With Other Clinical Tests For Dry Eye, Pearl Shin

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WITHIN SESSION REPEATABILITY OF THE TEAR LAB OSMOLARITY TEST AND CORRELATION WITH OTHER CLINICAL TESTS FOR DRY EYE PEARL SHIN DEPARTMENT OF VISION SCIENCES ABSTRACT Background The human tear film consists of three primary layers that work in conjunction to provide protection and nutrition to the cornea. When a layer is disrupted, the entire tear film loses its integrity and fails to function normally. Dry eye is the most common cause of tear film disruption. Among several methods to characterize dry eye is measurement of tear osmolarity. The TearLab Osmometer is commonly used clinically for this purpose. Previous studies in …


Norepinephrine Circuits In Mediating Stress-Elicited Behavior, Hyungwoo Nam Jan 2015

Norepinephrine Circuits In Mediating Stress-Elicited Behavior, Hyungwoo Nam

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Norepinephrine in the central nervous system (CNS) is a key mediator of stress-elicited behavioral and physiological adaptations. However, our understanding of central noradrenergic circuitry that regulates specific stress-elicited adaptations is incomplete. The working model for the studies described in this dissertation is that disruptions of specific noradrenergic circuits are responsible for the manifestation of distinct stress-elicited behaviors. Initially the organization of descending noradrenergic neurons with poly-synaptic collaterals to the adrenal gland and skeletal muscle was defined. These noradrenergic presympathetic-premotor neurons (PSPMNs) were distributed within the ventral locus coeruleus (LC), nucleus subcoeruleus (SubC), and the A7 cell group. Then behavioral characterization …


Light Transmitting Fiber Posts - An In Vitro Evaluation., Antigoni Stylianou Jan 2015

Light Transmitting Fiber Posts - An In Vitro Evaluation., Antigoni Stylianou

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Objectives: The primary purpose of this study is to measure and compare the light transmission, radiopacity and microscopic structure of a new fiber optic post compared to a clinically successful fiber post. Materials and Methods: A. The radiopacity of seven posts was evaluated in terms of average intensity values calculated in histograms produced by computer-based software. B. The two types of fiber posts were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and evaluated by computer-assisted image analysis. C. Two experimental groups with sample size n=12 included the D.T. Light posts and iLumi Fiber Optic posts. Two aluminum assemblies forming two cylindrical …


Some Contributions To Bayesian Regularization Methods With Applications To Genetics And Clinical Trials, Himel Mallick Jan 2015

Some Contributions To Bayesian Regularization Methods With Applications To Genetics And Clinical Trials, Himel Mallick

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Variable selection refers to the class of problems where one tries to find an optimal subset of relevant variables, which can be used to accurately predict the outcome of a certain response variable. Typically, a large number of variables are often collected; however, all but a few important variables are relevant for the prediction of the outcome, so the underlying representation is sparse. To this end, variable selection is fundamental in high-dimensional data analysis, playing a crucial role in important scientific discovery and decision-making, and has received enormous attention in the literature. Regularization method is one attractive approach that has …


Synaptic And Neurochemical Profiles Of The Nucleus Accumbens In Postmortem Schizophrenia, Lesley Mccollum Jan 2015

Synaptic And Neurochemical Profiles Of The Nucleus Accumbens In Postmortem Schizophrenia, Lesley Mccollum

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Schizophrenia is a mental illness affecting 1% of the population worldwide. Treatment options are limited for patients, due in part to the lack of understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of schizophrenia. In order to improve treatment, it is vital to gain a better understanding of the underlying pathology of the disorder. One region of particular interest is the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Part of the ventral striatum, this region is thought to play a role in schizophrenia pathology for multiple reasons: afferent input of many brain regions implicated in schizophrenia is integrated here; the dopamine and glutamate systems, both known to …


Deleterious Effects Of Hyperglycemia On Cognitive Functioning In The Cardia Study Cohort, Michele Holland Talley Jan 2015

Deleterious Effects Of Hyperglycemia On Cognitive Functioning In The Cardia Study Cohort, Michele Holland Talley

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DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF HYPERGLYCEMIA ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN THE CARDIA STUDY COHORT MICHELE LYN HOLLAND TALLEY SCHOOL OF NURSING ABSTRACT With an aging society, maintaining cognitive functioning into older age is becoming more important. Because of the impact cognitive functioning has on daily activities, any disruption may inhibit the ability to perform such daily activities successfully. To prevent disruptions, determinants of cognitive functioning must be considered. Such determinants may or may not be modifiable. Some predictors may be demographic, metabolic, or inflammatory in nature. In addition, predictors or determinants may differ based on genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease. As part …


Impact Of And Adoption Trends Of Hit In Cancer Care, Willi L. Tarver Jan 2015

Impact Of And Adoption Trends Of Hit In Cancer Care, Willi L. Tarver

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The three discrete research projects which make up this dissertation provide empirical evidence on the impact of, and adoption trends of, health information technology (HIT) as it pertains to cancer care. The findings of these studies are important as they provide insight into the potential of HIT to improve the quality of cancer care in the US. The results of this dissertation suggest that based on the current literature, HIT interventions seem to be more successful when targeting physicians, care in the prevention phase of the cancer continuum, and/or decision making. Separately, when seeking to understand the adoption of electronic …


Cost Effectiveness Of Hypertension Treatment: New Model, Methods, And Focus On African Americans, Gabriel Saidimu Tajeu Jan 2015

Cost Effectiveness Of Hypertension Treatment: New Model, Methods, And Focus On African Americans, Gabriel Saidimu Tajeu

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This dissertation focuses on the potential benefits of hypertension (HTN) treatment for the general population and African Americans (AAs) specifically. We undertake three research projects that are interconnected. First, using a systematic review methodology we assess the current state of the cost-effectiveness of HTN treatment literature in order to identify potential gaps in the cost-effectiveness literature, methodological shortcomings, and provide policy makers and researchers with a summary of the current findings as well as methods used in the literature. Second, building off our findings in paper 1, we construct a cost-effectiveness model. We assess the cost-effectiveness of HTN treatment not …


An Examination Of Farm-To-Consumer Retail Outlet Usage Among Participants Of The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants, And Children (Wic) In Birmingham, Al, Chelsea Renee Singleton Jan 2015

An Examination Of Farm-To-Consumer Retail Outlet Usage Among Participants Of The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants, And Children (Wic) In Birmingham, Al, Chelsea Renee Singleton

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Disparities in the neighborhood retail food environment have been hypothesized to be associated with poor diet quality and adverse health outcomes such as obesity. Studies have found that lower income communities often have reduced access to affordable healthy foods. In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proposed direct farm-to-consumer (FTC) retail outlets (i.e. farmers markets, farm/roadside stands, community gardens and community supported agriculture programs) as a potential strategy to alleviate retail food environment disparities in communities with limited resources. Information on the behavioral and health implications of FTC outlet usage by lower income individuals is limited. This research …


The Influence Of Personal, Interpersonal, And Community Factors On The Parenting Self-Efficacy Of First-Time Mothers, Tamika L. Smith Jan 2015

The Influence Of Personal, Interpersonal, And Community Factors On The Parenting Self-Efficacy Of First-Time Mothers, Tamika L. Smith

All ETDs from UAB

The Social Ecological Model (SEM) allows for examining human behavior and the factors that influence behavior change in totality. In addition, the model offers guidance in identifying the factors that may lead to a change in or explanation of behavior. This study utilizes SEM to identify factors at the personal, interpersonal, and community level in order to determine the relationship between specific ecological factors and parenting self-efficacy. Furthermore, the study examines the predictive quality of the ecological factors on parenting self-efficacy. Data collected from the Parenting for the First-time Project (PFT) was used. PFT is a multi-site longitudinal study of …


Exploiting The Glioblastoma Tumor Microenvironment For Enhanced Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus Therapy, Tyrel Talbert Smith Jan 2015

Exploiting The Glioblastoma Tumor Microenvironment For Enhanced Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus Therapy, Tyrel Talbert Smith

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Gliomas are the most common and fatal malignancy of the adult central nervous system. The need for new therapeutic options is clear, as standard of care therapies only extend median survival 12-14 months beyond diagnosis. Conditionally replication-competent oncolytic herpes simplex type-1 viruses (oHSV) have emerged as promising therapeutics for treating malignant gliomas. However, two factors that contribute to the dismal prognosis of malignant gliomas, immunosuppression and invasive growth, are also thought to limit virotherapeutic efficacy. We examined these factors in tumor microenvironments to explore novel strategies to treat malignant gliomas with oHSV for improved therapeutic response. In a Phase 1b …


Retention Of Cad/Cam Crowns Luted With Resin Cements And Rmgi, Shruti Sushilkumar Sonavane Jan 2015

Retention Of Cad/Cam Crowns Luted With Resin Cements And Rmgi, Shruti Sushilkumar Sonavane

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Objectives: To measure retention of lithium disilicate (IPS e.max CAD, Ivoclar Viva-dent) and zirconia reinforced lithium disilicate (CELTRATM DUO, Dentsply) copings luted using resin cements and resin-modified glass ionomer cement. Methods: 110 Extracted human, non-carious mandibular 2nd premolars (n=10) were embedded in PVC cylinders with acrylic resin and placed into a lathe to produce a uni-form crown preparation (22°-convergence & 3mm-height). Following the orientation groove placement (69L bur), preparations were scanned and milled using a CEREC 3D/Sirona machine to produce e.max and CELTRATM DUO crowns. Preparations were imaged with a digital microscope (Keyence/VHX-600-20X) and the surface area of each crown …


The Role Of Ribosome Biogenesis In Exercise-Induced Skeletal Muscle Anabolism In Aging, Michael Stec Jan 2015

The Role Of Ribosome Biogenesis In Exercise-Induced Skeletal Muscle Anabolism In Aging, Michael Stec

All ETDs from UAB

Numerous chronic medical conditions, as well as normal aging result in a significant loss of skeletal muscle mass. This has profound effects on quality of life and can increase the risk of all-cause mortality. Currently, the most potent treatment for reversing the loss of muscle mass is resistance exercise training (RT); however, the human muscle fiber growth (hypertrophy) response to this treatment is quite variable, and older adults do not respond as favorably to this treatment as younger adults. The focus of this dissertation is to elucidate the role that ribosome biogenesis plays in regulating the RT-induced hypertrophic response. We …


Exploiting Novel Interactions With Parp1 In Dna Repair Proficient Human Breast Cancers, Jennifer Anne Stanley Jan 2015

Exploiting Novel Interactions With Parp1 In Dna Repair Proficient Human Breast Cancers, Jennifer Anne Stanley

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Breast cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer amongst women worldwide. Despite advances in treatment, patients with more aggressive basal-like and HER2-positive cancer experience high rates of recurrence and necessitate novel therapeutic approaches. A class of inhibitors targeted against poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP), important DNA repair proteins, are effective in cancers with a defective DNA repair response. As such, extensive preclinical and clinical research has examined their efficacy in these cancers. Although this data is promising, it is only applicable to a lim-ited patient population. The main goal of this dissertation is to expand the utility of these well-tolerated drugs …


Long-Term Stability Of Lefort I Maxillary Downdraft With Rigid Internal Fixation, Stephen Leonard Strickland Jan 2015

Long-Term Stability Of Lefort I Maxillary Downdraft With Rigid Internal Fixation, Stephen Leonard Strickland

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ABSTRACT Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the skeletal and dental stability of a Le Fort I maxillary downgraft after a minimum 4year follow up period. Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated 18 patients' post-surgical stability after Le Fort I maxillary downgraft performed by a Z-osteotomy. Pre-surgical (T1), post-surgical (T2), post-orthodontic (T3), and long-term follow-up (T4) cephalometric radiographs were digitized and analyzed with Dolphin Imagining via a custom analysis to evaluate linear and angular skeletal and dental relapse. Results - The average Le Fort I maxillary down graft was 3.6mm. The average post-surgical orthodontic phase was 7.4 …


Safety Culture And Patient Harm, Alfonso Gatmaitan Jan 2015

Safety Culture And Patient Harm, Alfonso Gatmaitan

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SAFETY CULTURE AND PATIENT HARM EVENTS: A CONTINGENCY THEORY PERSPECTIVE IN THE CONTEXT OF COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS ALFONSO GATMAITAN ADMINISTRATION-HEALTH SERVICES ABSTRACT This study examines the correlation between a Culture of Patient Safety as measured by hospital staff surveys and actual patient harm attributed to hospital performance. It is generally accepted by health care management leaders that the presence of a strong culture of patient safety has become a critical component in reducing patient harm. However, little empirical evidence within multiple hospitals over time exists to support this belief. Healthcare managers can utilize this evidence in formulating patient safety improvement …


Translucency, Stain Resistance And Hardness Of Composites Used For Invisalign Attachments, Katelyn Bowman Feinberg Jan 2015

Translucency, Stain Resistance And Hardness Of Composites Used For Invisalign Attachments, Katelyn Bowman Feinberg

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The purpose of this study is to compare the translucency parameter, stain resistance and hardness of dental restorative composites and orthodontic adhesives in order to determine an ideal esthetic attachment material for Invisalign® treatment. Materials and Methods: Two dental restorative composites (Filtek™ Supreme Ultra, Tetric EvoCeram®) and three orthodontic adhesives (L.C.R.™, Transbond™ XT, Phase II® Dual Cure) were used in this in-vitro study. 2.0 mm thick samples of each material were fabricated in silicone molds covered with a flat sheet of Invisalign attachment template material. To evaluate the translucency parameter and stain resistance, initial L*a*b* values of each material were …


The Effect Of Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein Induced Microrna-200 Family Members On Pancreatic Beta Cells, Stephen Filios Jan 2015

The Effect Of Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein Induced Microrna-200 Family Members On Pancreatic Beta Cells, Stephen Filios

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Pancreatic beta cells secrete insulin to maintain normal blood glucose levels and allow cells of the body to use glucose. However, in diabetes, there is beta cell dysfunction and pancreatic beta cells undergo programmed cell death leading to inadequate insulin production and secretion. Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein (TXNIP) is a ubiquitously expressed protein, 46 kDa in size, which is an arrestin protein family member. Unique to this member of the arrestin family, however, is its ability to bind to, and reduce, thioredoxin. The TXNIP gene is increased in pancreatic islets more than any other gene in response to high levels of glucose. …


Drivers Of Inter-Organizational Network Participation, Kimberly S. Davey Jan 2015

Drivers Of Inter-Organizational Network Participation, Kimberly S. Davey

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The purpose of this dissertation was to study market and organizational drivers associated with inter-organizational network participation. Inter-organizational networks are increasingly emerging across industries as a strategy for adapting to fundamental changes in competitive market environments. Specifically, this study empirically examined the association between market and organizational drivers for a sample of U.S. hospitals relative to their participation or non-participation in Medicare ACOs as a newly emergent inter-organizational network in the healthcare sector. This was a cross-sectional study of U.S. hospitals participating in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) designated ACOs as of January 1, 2014 and hospitals not …


The Characterization Of Human Cytosolic Sulfotransferase 1a1: Interactions With 17Α-Ethinylestradiol, Katie Jo Glowacki Jan 2015

The Characterization Of Human Cytosolic Sulfotransferase 1a1: Interactions With 17Α-Ethinylestradiol, Katie Jo Glowacki

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Human cytosolic sulfotransferases (SULTs) are a family of Phase II conjugating enzymes that facilitate the transfer of a sulfonate moiety from 3’phosphoadenosine 5’phosphosulfate (PAPS) to hydroxyl or amine groups of acceptor substrates. SULT1A1, located in many tissues throughout the human body including the liver, is important in the metabolism of many endogenous, exogenous, xenobiotic, and drug compounds. The majority of substrates for SULT1A1 are small neutral phenols including 1-naphthol and acetaminophen; however, SULT1A1 sulfates larger compounds including 17β-estradiol (E2) and raloxifene. SULT1A1 conjugates E2 with a Km of 2.3 µM and the structure of E2 is almost identical to the …


Role Of Macrophages In The Cardiomyopathy Associated With Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes, Mehak Goel Jan 2015

Role Of Macrophages In The Cardiomyopathy Associated With Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes, Mehak Goel

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Obesity is a state of chronic low-grade systemic inflammation that, along with type 2 diabetes (T2D), increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite the wealth of information on the link between macrophages and cytokines in adipose tissue and peripheral insulin resistance, their role in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy and cardiac diastolic dysfunction is unclear. We hypothesized that activated immune cell mediators, in particular monocytes and macrophages, are fundamental drivers of diet-induced obesity and diabetic cardiomyopathy. Herein, firstly, a diet-induced model of diabetic cardiomyopathy was developed in C57BL/6 mice by feeding a high fat diet (HFD, 45% kcal …


Consequences Of Trps1 Deficiency On Dentinogenesis, Morgan Goss Jan 2015

Consequences Of Trps1 Deficiency On Dentinogenesis, Morgan Goss

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Dentinogenesis is a complex process of dentin formation. It involves differentiation of odontoblasts, the cells that make dentin, and the formation of a unique extracellular matrix, known as dentin. Dentin is ultimately produced through the interaction of collagen fibers, non-collagenous proteins and hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals. Odontoblasts are cranial neural crest (CNC) ectomesenchymal derived cells. Trps1 is a novel transcription factor believed to play an important role in both tooth formation and the mineralization process. TRPS1 gene mutations are known to result in dental and skeletal abnormalities manifested in humans as tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome (TRPS) and Ambras syndrome. Trps1 expression varies throughout …


Linking Adiponectin And Autophagy In The Regulation Of Breast Cancer Metastatic Potential, Emily Libby Jan 2015

Linking Adiponectin And Autophagy In The Regulation Of Breast Cancer Metastatic Potential, Emily Libby

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Curative approaches for metastatic breast cancer remain elusive. Adiponectin is the most abundant of the adipocyte-secreted adipokines, and there is recent interest in development of adiponectin-based therapies for this disease. Yet, while multiple epidemiological studies have indicated that low levels of circulating plasma adiponectin portend poorer prognosis, recent work has reported that elevated adiponectin expression in breast tissue correlates with advanced disease. Further, isoform-specific roles of this molecule are not well understood. Thus, the overarching purpose of this work was to elucidate how adiponectin isoforms contribute to the microenvironmental regulation of the early steps of breast cancer metastasis. We show …