Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Investigation Of The Sequence-Structure-Activity Relationship In Ponericin L1 From Neoponera Goeldii & Synergistic Interactions Of Ionic Liquids And Antimicrobials To Improve Efficacy, Alexandria S. Senetra

Theses and Dissertations

Non-traditional antimicrobials have been an area of great interest due to the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) & ionic liquids (ILs) are two examples that have been investigated as a potential solution. Most AMPs are naturally derived & exhibit high selectivity against bacterial targets over host cells. The venom-derived peptide, ponericin L1 from Neoponera goeldii, was used to investigate the role of cationic residues & net charge on peptide activity. Using both in vitro & microbiological methods, L1 peptide & derivatives exhibited an alpha-helical conformation with enhanced binding to lipid vesicles containing anionic lipids …

Searching For New Medications For The Treatment Of Alcohol Use Disorder, Harley M. Buechler

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects more than 15 million people in the United States. Current pharmacotherapeutic treatments for AUD are only modestly effective, necessitating the identification of new targets for medications development. In this study, the effects of the D4 receptor antagonist, L-745,870, and the CB1 negative allosteric modulator, PSNCBAM-1, were both tested for effects in ethanol conditioned place preference (CPP) and oral ethanol self-administration. Food-restricted adult male mice were trained in operant chambers to nose poke for delivery of rewards, trained on ascending concentrations of alcohol with descending concentrations of Ensure and water, until the mixture self-administered was 8% …

Searching For New Analgesics Without Addiction Risks, Mohammad Atiqur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

Opioids are widely used to treat acute and chronic pain. But opioid addiction to these compounds can cause social and life-threatening health problems, including the risk of overdose. In this thesis, I evaluated IBNtxA (3-iodobenzoyl naltrexamine), a novel mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonist structurally related to the classical MOR antagonist naltrexone, in drug discrimination studies in order to better understand its subjective effects and more thoroughly its abuse liability. IBNtxA represents an intriguing lead compound for preclinical drug development specifically targeting MOR splice variants, potentially creating effective analgesics with reduced side effects. These results indicate that IBNtxA produces potent antinociception …

Synthesizing Modified Polymeric Nanoparticles For Biofilm Inhibition, Antibiotic Encapsulation, And Specific Targeting Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Logan Schnorbus

Theses and Dissertations

Widespread usage of antibiotics is a growing concern due to antibiotic resistance development in bacteria. This is due to common use of antibiotics in agricultural, livestock, and clinical usage. Antibiotic resistance is developing at a rate in which it is outpacing new drugs on the market. New strategies in drug development are necessary to combat the increasing resistance. We designed several motifs of sugar-modified nanoparticles to inhibit the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium that is responsible for common life-threatening infection in hospitals. This gram-negative opportunistic pathogenic bacterium infects hosts with compromised immune systems …

An In Silico Study Of Small Molecule Anti-Cancer Agents Targeting Dna G-Quadruplexes, Holli-Joi Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

Free ligand binding molecular dynamic simulations are a powerful tool used to probe the ligand binding process, mechanism and pathway and the insight gained can help expedite the early stages of drug discovery. Using these methods, we model the binding of two small molecule anti-cancer agents BRACO19 and CX-5461 to a variety of DNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) and a DNA Duplex. The first study focuses on the binding of BRACO19 to three different topological folds (parallel, anti-parallel and hybrid) of the human telomeric G4s. Our detailed analysis identified the most stable binding modes were end stacking and groove binding for the …

The Effects Of Migraines, Anxiety And Depression On Concussion Recovery, Donovan A. Howard

Theses and Dissertations

Concussion recovery has been a very relevant topic in the medical field recently. The impact that a concussion has on the patient post-injury has been a topic of debate. What has not been included in many of these studies has been whether or not certain factors in a medical history of patients under the age of 24 can predispose them to a longer concussion recovery. Medical factors such as depression, anxiety and migraines can result in different areas of the developing brain being compromised such as the hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, striatum, and amygdala. A longer recovery duration …

Toward Precision Medicine With Nanopore Technology, Trang Andrea Vu

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, when patients are diagnosed with cancer, they often receive a treatment based on the type and stage of the tumor. However, different patients may respond to the same treatment differently, due to the variation in their genomic alteration profile. Thus, it is essential to understand the effect of genomic alterations on cancer drug efficiency and engineer devices to monitor these changes for therapeutic response prediction. Nanopore-based detection technology features devices containing a nanometer-scale pore embedded in a thin membrane that can be utilized for DNA sequencing, biosensing, and detection of biological or chemical modifications on single molecules. Overall, this …

Prediction Of Drug-Drug Interaction Potential Using Machine Learning Approaches, Joseph Scavetta

Theses and Dissertations

Drug discovery is a long, expensive, and complex, yet crucial process for the benefit of society. Selecting potential drug candidates requires an understanding of how well a compound will perform at its task, and more importantly, how safe the compound will act in patients. A key safety insight is understanding a molecule's potential for drug-drug interactions. The metabolism of many drugs is mediated by members of the cytochrome P450 superfamily, notably, the CYP3A4 enzyme. Inhibition of these enzymes can alter the bioavailability of other drugs, potentially increasing their levels to toxic amounts. Four models were developed to predict CYP3A4 inhibition: …

The Effects Of Fatigue On Lower Extremity Neuromuscular Control, Matthew Thomas Marcen

Theses and Dissertations

Lower extremity injuries and pathologies are amongst the most common issues recreational athletes face. Fatigue is a factor that may impact how the lower extremity performs on a neuromuscular level. Neuromuscular control is a vital aspect of athletic performance and everyday life, that when hindered, may produce pathological results. The research is contradictory on whether or not fatigue produces a significant impact during neuromuscular performance. The purpose of this study is to assess neuromuscular control following a lower extremity fatigue protocol.

This study was a randomized a controlled trial. Twenty-one recreationally active subjects, 10 males and 11 females, between the …

Cardiovascular Recovery From Emotional Stress: An Operationalization Of Equanamity Following Mindfulness-Based Emotional Stress, Emma Mcbride

Theses and Dissertations

Theoretical models of mindfulness suggest that meditation may improve health, in part, by regulating stress physiology, including faster recovery of heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (SBP/DBP) after emotional stress. Furthermore, improved cardiovascular recovery (CR) may be a marker of equanimity, defined as increased acceptance of and reduced reactivity to stress. No studies have tested this hypothesis, partly because methodology for assessing CR remains controversial. Using a novel operationalization of equanimity and several methods of measuring CR, this project investigated whether (1) equanimity is associated with improved CR, (2) Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is associated with improved CR, and (3) …

Plyometric Training And Its Effects On The Neuromuscular System, Bradley Andrew Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Plyometric training is commonly employed by athletic trainers, personal trainers, and strength and conditioning coaches, especially for those athletes who require quickness, agility, and high vertical jump performance. It is well documented in its ability to increase these aspects of performance.(12, 14, 16, 20) There are many proposed mechanisms in place which attempt to explain why it is so effective, however, many of the proposed mechanisms are still theoretical. The purpose of this study is to examine some of those proposed mechanisms that drive the success of plyometric training. This project investigates the neurological effects of plyometric training by examining …

Testing Postural Control With Kinesiology Tape And A Compression Ankle Sleeve In Dancers, Sarah Catherine Unger

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to assess if kinesiology tape (KT) and compression sleeves can influence balance and postural control by assessing center of pressure (CoP). This study will also compare the effectiveness of increasing postural control between KT and a compression sleeve. Fifteen female subjects between the ages of 18 and 22 years old volunteered to participate in this study. One subject's data was discarded due to KT disruption. The fourteen remaining subjects were randomly assigned to either the KT, compression sleeve, or control group. Each subject performed a semi-dynamic balance test (modified Airplane Test) on a portable …

The Relationship Between The Use Of Hormonal Contraceptives And Ligamentous Knee Injury In The Female Collegiate Athlete, Nicole Michelle Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Female athletes are three to six times more likely than males to sustain a ligamentous knee injury due to hormonal risk factors. Hormones of the menstrual cycle have been shown to alter the physiological component of ligamentous structures during the three phases of the cycle. Use of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) may influence the incidence and severity of ligamentous knee injuries in female athletes. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the relationship between HC use and the type and severity of ligamentous knee injuries sustained among female collegiate athletes using an online survey distributed to NCAA female athletes …

Balance Of Adults With Chronic Ankle Instability Following A 6-Week Core Stability Program, Natalie Dickol

Theses and Dissertations

Ankle injuries are one of the most common injuries in the athletic population because of the anatomy of the ankle in conjunction with dynamic activity. During injury, mechanoreceptors are damaged, effecting neuromuscular control. Lack of neuromuscular control puts patients at risk for re-injury. Chronic ankle instability (CAI) has been defined as a condition associated with recurrent sprains and persistent symptoms, including feelings of "giving way," loss of function and limited movement and continuous ankle pain. Patients with CAI are commonly shown to have functional deficits in postural control, such as overcompensating on the uninvolved limb or unable to maintain proper …