Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of Lyophilization On Porcine Hemoglobin Properties., Mustafa Almosawi

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Blood transfusion is the single most often performed lifesaving procedure in hospitals worldwide. Unfortunately, packed red blood cells (RBCs) used for transfusion can only be stored for 42 days at 4 °C before being discarded due to irreversible damage that occurs during storage. Any reduction in available RBCs for an extended period can lead to blood shortages. To increase the shelf-life of RBCs, we investigated freeze-drying (lyophilizing) in the presence of the non-toxic sugar trehalose as a method for long-term preservation. However, the oxidative stress of the lyophilization and storage processes can compromise the functionality of these cells, and the …

The Emerging Oral Pathogen, Filifactor Alocis, Modulates Antimicrobial Responses In Primed Human Neutrophils., Ian J. Snider

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Periodontitis is an irreversible, chronic inflammatory, infectious disease of the oral cavity that affects approximately half of all adults 30 years or older in the USA. The oral cavity is under high immune surveillance because of its constant exposure to microbes in the environment. The primary immune cell responsible for this surveillance is the neutrophil. Pathogens associated with periodontitis possess virulence factors and have evolved strategies to evade neutrophil antimicrobial responses to survive. One such pathogen is Filifactor alocis, whose presence is associated with the progression of periodontitis. F. alocis manipulates several neutrophil antimicrobial functional responses to avoid killing, an …

Impacts Of Dietary Restriction On A Drosophila Model Of Werner Syndrome, Eileen Sember

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Werner syndrome (WS) is an autosomal recessive disorder that results in premature aging and occurs in 1 in 1,000,0000 to 1 in 10,000,000 people. In humans, WS is the result of mutations that render the WRN gene, that contains a helicase and an exonuclease domain, non-functional. Currently, there is no cure for WS in humans, making dietary and lifestyle interventions attractive for increasing the quality and longevity of lives. Diet restriction (DR) has been shown to extend the lifespan of several model organisms, including Drosophila melanogaster, making it a strong candidate for WS treatment. In this thesis, mutant flies …

Immobilization And Its Effects On Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury., William H. Gregory

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Recovery, or rather the failure to recover, is a perplexing issue of spinal cord injury that is currently being investigated. This issue becomes more puzzling when investigating models in which spinal cord injury (SCI) is studied. There appears to be greater functional recovery experienced by animals within these models after injury as compared to patients in the clinical setting. While many things could contribute to this disparity, one difference that stands out when comparing the basic research model and clinical experience of SCI is the inactivity and limb disuse after the injury. This same level of immobility is rarely accounted …

Evaluating Sex-Dependent Changes In The Gut Microbiome Caused By Polychlorinated Biphenyl (Pcb) Exposure., Zayna Qaissi

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants that have been associated with fatty liver disease, cardiovascular diseases, and other metabolic dysfunctions. Our laboratory group previously demonstrated that exposures to PCBs led to sex-dependent liver outcomes with female mice showing higher susceptibility to PCB- induced liver toxicity. Some of the underlying mechanisms driving these sex-dependent outcomes that were identified included PCB-modulated endocrine disruption. However, the PCB effects on the gut microbiome and the gut liver axis have not been investigated. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to identify PCB-induced changes in the gut microbiome and identify if this could …

An Evaluation Of Covid-19 Vaccination Rates Of The Patients At The Kentucky Racing Health Services Center., Aditya Mehta

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

COVID-19 vaccines have been widely available to the U.S. public since early 2021. However, vaccination rates still vary considerably across geographical areas and different populations. The objective of this study was to research overall vaccination rates against COVID-19 for Latinx patients at the Kentucky Racing Health Services Center (KRHSC). Vaccination and booster data was collected from June to December 2021 for all unique patients visiting the center. It was initially hypothesized that these rates of vaccination and booster doses for the KRHSC patients would be lower than the data reported by Kentucky and Jefferson County. After a retrospective review, the …

Exercise Dependence, Affect, And Eating Disorder Symptoms After Treatment Discharge., Samantha M. Minrath

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Eating disorders (EDs) have been proven to be life-threatening, yet these disorders are still prominent in Western society. The current study focuses on exercise dependence, negative affect, positive affect, and ED symptoms in individuals discharged from ED treatment. While ED recovery varies at the individual level, exercise dependence and affect are particularly important to analyze due to the complex and interconnected relationships with each other and ED symptoms. For example, routine exercise can be used to lessen negative affect, but exercise dependence can lead to an increase in negative affect. As patients in recovery begin to add exercise back into …

The Relationship Between Mothers’ Negative Emotional Symptoms And Mother-Infant Interactions During The Covid-19 Pandemic., Kolbie A Vincent

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between mothers' negative emotional symptoms (depression, anxiety, and stress) and mother-infant interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected in the early months of the pandemic, when daycares were closed, through an online survey of parents and infants. Participants included 54 mothers of infants 3-34 months of age living in Kentucky. Well-being was measured with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale – 21 (DASS 21). Questions related to parent-infant interactions included time spent interacting with the infants by reading, singing, playing freely with no set goal, engaging in a meaningful …

The Dangers Posed By Open-Flame Cooking: The Case Of Chiapas, Mexico., Holly Renee Zoeller

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Open-flame cooking, the central cooking approach used by some three billion individuals across the globe, primarily in developing countries, poses serious health and environmental risks. While some countries have begun to transition to cleaner stoves, this effort has confronted widespread resistance. People who have been using this ancient cooking method and whose culinary traditions rely on this cooking approach have remained recalcitrant in their efforts to continue cooking the traditional way. This study focuses on Chiapas, the southernmost and the poorest state in Mexico, which skirts the Guatemalan border. This study provides ample evidence of the health risks associated with …

Assessing Conduct Disturbance And Fly Ash Exposure In Children., Jillian G. Winn

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Minimal research has been conducted on fly ash (a byproduct of coal combustion) and health outcomes among exposed communities, and even less has looked at its effect on children’s behavior. This study specifically looks at fly ash exposure and conduct disturbance, using logistic regression to characterize their relationship. Conduct disturbance was gauged by t-scores of 55 or higher on the dimensions of aggression and delinquency of the Child Behavior Checklist. Fly ash exposure was determined by air and surface sampling of the children’s homes. While the odds ratios suggested fly ash exposure increases the likelihood of conduct disturbance, the results …

Filifactor Alocis: Resilience And Manipulation Against Neutrophil Effector Functions In A Dysbiotic Oral Environment., Max N. Rogers

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Periodontitis is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory infectious disease that affects around 50% of the adult population in the USA. Neutrophils, which are the primary immune cells recruited to restore health at sites of infection, are profuse in the gingival space during oral infections. In a community-wide effort, pathogenic oral bacteria hijack neutrophil effector functions to evade killing, resulting in an uncontrollable inflammatory loop that leads into inflammation-mediated tissue injury. One of these harmful emerging oral pathogens, Filifactor alocis, has been shown to evade neutrophil killing and contribute to disease progression. The purpose of this study is to gain a …

In Vitro Immune Activation By Treponema Pallidum And The Effect On Osteoclastogenesis: First Experimental Step Towards An Integration Between Osteoimmunology And Paleopathology., Emily Ann Rich

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

The presence of pathogens in the human body influences the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines by activated immune cells. These cytokines, and other factors, regulate osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast activity. Through experimental osteoimmunology, interactions between the inflammatory response and bone cell physiology may provide insight into how immune processes can be translated into the lesions or abnormalities observed in the osteological record. In this research, our objective was to determine if the cytokines produced by activated immune cells increase osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast activity. To evaluate this hypothesis, we used two main protocols, one for immune activation and one for osteoclastogenesis, that utilized …

Telemedicine In Pediatric Speech Therapy: Characteristics Of Child, Mother, And Speech-Language Pathologist Vocal Interaction., Abigail L Betts

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Telemedicine is a potential solution to provide distant or underserved clients with access to their clinician. The purpose of this thesis is to examine how the use of telemedicine affects the vocal characteristics of children who received cochlear implants (CI), their mother, and a speech-language pathologist (SLP) as they engage in a speech-language therapy intervention. The children (n = 5), her caregiver, and the SLP engaged in one 30 minute in person session and one 30 minute telemedicine session in a counterbalanced order. The frequency of vocalizations, vocal turns, and between-speaker pause (BSP) duration in both sessions were examined. The …

Transcriptional Influence Of Retinoic Acid And Its Effects On Angiogenesis Of Murine Salivary Glands., Isaac Feinn

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Salivary gland hypofunction is a major disorder of salivary glands, and can arise either from diseases such as xerostomia, or from defective epithelial morphogenesis during embryogenesis. Hundreds of thousands of individuals suffer from dry mouth, and there is currently no restorative therapy for these patients. Investigation of salivary gland developmental biology will inform regenerative therapies. Currently it is known that retinoic acid (RA), the biologically active form of Vitamin A, is required for proper development of the salivary gland, but little is known about its cellular mechanism regulating organogenesis. This study sought to analyze salivary gland development in Rdh10 knock …

Reactive Glutamines And A Binding Site Region Contribute To Fxiii Substrate Specificity For Fibrinogen Αc, Mohammed Hindi

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

The reaction between transglutaminase factor XIII (FXIII) and fibrin is a key process in the final stages of blood coagulation. The αC region of fibrin contains three reactive glutamines (Q237, Q328, and Q366) which are crosslinked by FXIII, as well as a FXIII anchoring site (E396). Previous work has helped elucidate the FXIII-αC interaction, but much is still unknown about the key residues in the αC region.

Four crosslinking assays were carried out to characterize the contribution of the αC anchoring site and reactive glutamines in crosslinking by FXIII. The effects of individual E396A, Q366N, and Q328P (Fibrinogen Seoul II …

These Places We Walk : Stories Of Mental Illness In American Society., Rachel Grace Trimble

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

This paper examines research on mental illness and mental health literacy as well as an examination of literary elements in interlinked stories in order to write a linked collection of five short stories about mental illnesses. Depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Investigation Of The In Vitro Interactions Between Two Common Cystic Fibrosis Pathogens, Staphylococcus Aureus And Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia., Matthew Hill

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common autosomal disorders in Caucasian populations. This disorder creates a very opportune environment for many pathogens within the patient’s lung. Two common pathogens that infect CF patient’s lungs are Staphylococcus aureusand Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. These two species of bacteria can colonize host environments and establish mats of cells known as biofilms that become very difficult to eradicate with antibiotics. Once inside a CF lung, these pathogens must not only evade the host immune response but they also interact and compete with each other; however, how bacterial pathogens interact inside the host lung …

Strain Differences In Susceptibility To Cisplatin-Induced Renal Fibrosis, Gabrielle B. Oropilla

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Cisplatin is a potent chemotherapeutic; the dose-limiting side effect of this drug is nephrotoxicity, causing acute kidney injury (AKI) in 30% of adult patients. Patients with cisplatin-induced AKI are more likely to develop end stage renal diseases, particularly chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is marked by the development of fibrosis. Currently, there are no therapeutic interventions for cisplatin-induced kidney injury, which may be due to limitations in the mouse model used to study this type of injury. We have previously developed a repeated dosing regimen of cisplatin (mice treated with 7 mg/kg once a week for 4 weeks, mice sacrificed …

The Comparison Of Effective Education Methods To Increase Knowledge About Alzheimer's Disease., Lillian M. Kopsolias

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a disease most people recognize, but have many misconceptions about. One way to decrease the amount of misconceptions about AD is to educate the general public on the disease. Many educational methods, such as person-centered care education, have been researched, but none have focused on the general public. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare two educational methods used today, reading a passage from a reliable online source (traditional educational method) and watching documentaries (person-centered care educational method), to find if a specific way of presenting them will prove efficient for Alzheimer’s education. The …

Enhancement Of Nafld Risk By Vinyl Chloride : Role Of Adipose Tissue In A Mouse Model., Brenna R. Kaelin

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Background: Vinyl chloride (VC), an environmental contaminant, is directly hepatotoxic at high concentrations. However, our group has recently demonstrated that VC and the VC metabolite chloroethanol (CE), at concentrations that are not considered hepatotoxic, enhanced liver injury caused by high-fat diet (HFD). These data therefore suggest that the impact of VC exposure on hepatic tissue may be enhanced with underlying metabolic syndrome and/or liver injury. It is known that there is an axis between adipose and hepatic tissue in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with the former impacting pathology in the hepatic tissue via release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and/or lipolysis. …

Targeting Cancer Stem Cells In Recurrent Lung Cancer., Karen T. Udoh

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. The development of drug resistance with cisplatin or platinum/taxane combination chemotherapies has led patients to suffer from recurrent lung cancer. These chemotherapy treatments target cancer cells but leave behind cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are stem-like tumor cells that have the potential to differentiate and proliferate. This allows the cancer to relapse even after initial elimination of the tumor. Investigations were performed on a secondary metabolite from the Myrothecium fungus family called Verrucarin J (VJ) to see its effects in lung cancer cell lines. VJ significantly inhibits …

Synthesis Of A Nanoscale Gold-Coated, Thermoresponsive Molecular Release System., Ryan C. Weegens

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

The work presented here was performed in conjunction with an experimental group in order to prove the concept that an alternating magnetic field (AMF) could be used to induce an intramolecular cyclization to effect payload release. The system studied here consisted of a fluorophore tethered to gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) via an organic linker consisting of 2 key elements: a carbonate (electrophile) and an amine (nucleophile). Connected to the carbonate was the fluorophore, anthracene, which was attached to the organic linker system by means of an oxime ether linkage. This thesis work served as the …

An In Vitro Study On The Detection Of Ovarian Cancer Using A Novel Ph-Specific Targeting Polypyrrole Nanocontrasting Agent., Phillip Chuong

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Longitudinal tracking and accumulation of polymeric nanoparticles in the context of cancer has largely occurred through identification of a fluorescent cargo. In this study, we created a dual extracellular acidic pH targeted polypyrrole-based hollow nanoparticle as a theranostic (maintain both therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities) agent for improved detection and treatment of ovarian cancer. Polypyrrole-hollow nanospheres (PPy-CS) were fabricated through the removal of a silver chloride (AgCl) core, which served as a template, followed by coating with chitosan and further tumor targeted with a pH low insertion peptide, V7. We exploited the NIR-absorbing property of polypyrrole to track both the nanoparticle …

Making Sex Work For The State : The Policing Of Sex Work In The United States., Madeline A Clabough

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the ways that sex work is regulated within the United States, and analyze the ways that regulation is shaped by contemporary feminist discourse. To do so, it analyzes the ways in which sex workers have been and pathologized since the 19th century, and address the ways that these conceptualizations have been incorporated into the legal regulation of sex workers. Finally, this thesis will look to contemporary practices in the state regulation of sex workers, and argue that the relationship between neoliberalism, the carceral state, and what has come to be termed “carceral feminism” operate in conjunction to …

Cross-Cultural Investigation Of Birth Experience : A Comparison Between Mexico And The United States., Alice J Darling

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

This study investigates the maternal birth experience through a cross-cultural lens. While the field of medical anthropology has researched birth practices of many cultures, few cross-cultural studies have been performed and no recent studies have suggested a transition in birthing. Ethnographic interviews with women and practitioners in Yucatán, Mexico and with women in Kentucky, United States allowed for a better understanding of the respective birthing environments. Grounded theory was then employed to develop a birth transition theory explaining changes occurring when society transitions from traditional birth practitioners to allopathic birth practitioners. The themes of knowledge, expectation and power were isolated …

Investigating The Mechanism Of Novel Anticancer Agent, As1411 : Does Metabolism To Guanine Play A Role?, Parker T Howard

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

AS1411 is an oligonucleotide that has shown promising results in lab experiments and clinical trials as an anti-cancer drug, Likewise, treatments with guanine based purine compounds (GBPCs) have demonstrated similar anti-proliferative effects in vitro. This activity is dependent on the HGPRT enzyme. Similarities in activity and physical structure has led us to believe that AS1411 and GBPCs operate by a similar mechanism. To test this, we compare the activity of both in the presence of HGPRT siRNAs and HGPRT deficient cells. While siRNA treatment was unable to alter the activity of GBPCs or AS1411 in our cell lines, HGPRT deficient …

Filifactor Alocis, A Newly Appreciated Oral Pathogen, Fails To Induce The Respiratory Burst Response Of Human Neutrophils., Jacob S. Edmisson

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Almost 50% of adult Americans suffer from periodontitis which is a bacterially induced inflammation of the tissue that surround and support the tooth. The accumulation of neutrophils, a critical cell component of the innate immune system, in the gingival crevice contributes to tissue damage. Filifactor alocis is a newly appreciated pathogen present in oral biofilms at periodontal disease sites. Studying the interactions between neutrophils and F. alocis will provide valuable information for delineating the role of this bacterium in periodontal disease and enhance our understanding of bacterial strategies to evade leukocytes’ antimicrobial mechanisms. The hypothesis that F. alocis modulates human …

Effects Of Talker Variability On Spectral Contrast Effects., Asim Mohiuddin

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Spectral contrast effects are context-dependent effects that influence the way we perceive certain sounds. Evidence of these effects can be seen in experiments where a precursor sound (e.g. a sentence) is followed by a target vowel sound (like /ɪ/ as in "bit" or /ɛ/ as in "bet"). If the precursor's frequency was emphasized in areas more consistent with the frequency of /ɛ/, listeners tend to perceive the target sound to be the opposite i.e. /ɪ/. A recent study shows using sentence precursors from 200 different talkers diminishes these effects questioning previous claims that talker variability has no influence on spectral …

The Effect Of Interspecies Signaling On Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia Growth., Zachary Ethan Dickinson

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that effects over 70,000 people worldwide, and is particularly prevalent in those of Caucasian descent. CF increases susceptibility to chronic infections of the lungs and GI tract, often leading to decreased quality of life and early death to afflicted individuals. No cure is available, and so treatment is limited to treating the frequent infections that afflict CF patients. Several species of bacteria are commonly implicated in these infections, including Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Infections of this species is of particular interest as it has been shown to be highly antibiotic resistant. This is a concern …

Delivering Health Care To Women Who Use Crack : A Brazilian Example., Kristen Connors

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

No abstract provided.