Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Patterns Of Fecal Progestagens, Estrogens, And Androgens Associated With Reproduction In Blue-Throated Piping Guans (Pipile Cumanensis), Leslie Ann Sterling, Helen Clawitter, Corinne P. Kozlowski, Michael Macek, Anne Tieber

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

While fecal hormone analyses are routinely employed to monitor reproduction in mammals, few studies have used these techniques for monitoring reproductive events in birds. This study describes the endocrine patterns associated with reproduction in the blue-throated piping guan (Pipile cumanensis), a less threatened relative of the critically endangered Trinidad piping guan (P. pipile). Fecal samples were collected approximately once a week for 3 years from seven female guans and six male guans at the Saint Louis Zoo. Concentrations of fecal progestagens, estrogens, and androgens were quantified using commercially available enzyme immunoassays. Baseline progestagen concentrations for females …

State Space Analysis Of Dominant Structures In Dynamic Social Systems, Jeremy B. Sato

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Many systems involving human relationships are modeled as dynamic systems, as diverse as urban population growth, diffusion of innovations, spread of viruses, and supply chain management. A fundamental assumption is that these systems contain variables which accumulate and deplete over time (people, innovation adoptions, infections, and orders), and whose dynamics are determined by societal rules and human decision making processes. These assumptions allow the system to be formally expressed by ordinary differential equations which are often nonlinear and contain multiple state variables and feedback loops. Analytical methods have been developed to identify the dominant feedback loops which primarily influence the …

Exercises On Overcoming Perfectionist Tendencies, Jake Yoo

Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Papers

In my latest series, I investigate my neurotic perfectionist tendency through repetition of phrases that I understand to be true in my head, but have a problem with accepting it in my heart. This way, I am studying my personal biases and the way I perceive the world in order to break free from unwanted behaviors and process negative emotions. Louise Bourgeois is a historical precedence to my practice as whole, while the series functions similarly to Yayoi Kusama’s dot and net paintings—a psychological portrait achieved through continuous repetition of a few elements.

Conceiving Of Contraception: St. Louis Women's Perspectives On Family Planning & Contraception, Priya Suri

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

This work highlights the stories women weave as they make their contraceptive decisions. It included their perceptions regarding cultural, religious, and economic barriers. Fifty-one women were interviewed using a semi-structured interview style of about thirty-eight questions in the South Grand St. Louis Planned Parenthood. Contraception itself was primarily thought of as a scientific technology; however, in the context of family planning, it took on social meanings that reflected preparedness in life, financial security, religious viewpoints and the ability to choose. Women expressed varying levels of religious influence. Discussing how each woman understands her own relationship with religion, God, and/or her …

Iron Regulation Of Macrophage Responses To Uropathogenic E. Coli, Nana Kwame Owusu-Boaitey

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) are the principal cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs), one of the most common infections globally. Given the rising incidence of antibiotic resistance among UPEC strains, there is an increasing need to better understand the host response to UPEC and to develop ways to harness the bladder innate immune response that clears infection. In response to infection, the host attempts to limit the ability of UPEC to access iron, a metal critical to UPEC survival. Innate immune cells known as macrophages are known to regulate iron homeostasis through the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, though it remains …

The Resolution Phase Of Nk Cell Proliferation And Ifn Production Following Viral Infection Are Highly Regulated Processes., Leslie Abigail Fogel

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In response to MCMV infection, NK cells undergo three distinct phases of proliferation: the non-specific phase mediated by pro-proliferative cytokines; the specific phase mediated by recognition of an MCMV-encoded protein by an NK cell activating receptor, Ly49H; and the resolution phase, whose mechanism is unknown. MCMV infection of RAG mice, which lack all adaptive immune cells, results in prolonged proliferation of NK cells despite similar viral titers compared to wildtype mice. Interestingly, there are different kinetics for Ly49H+ and Ly49H- NK cells. We have identified several additional markers that may distinguish NK cells that have been specifically activated through their …

The Role Of Physical Activity Enjoyment In The Pathways From Social And Physical Environments To Physical Activity Of Early Adolescent Girls, Elizabeth Lauren Budd

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2013, only 27.1 % of adolescents (age 10-19) met the daily physical activity (PA) recommendations of 60 minutes of PA a day. 1 Inactivity is highly prevalent among youth and especially prevalent among adolescents. This inactivity can have harmful and costly, immediate and long-term repercussions on physical, mental, and social health.28 Health behaviors throughout childhood, including PA, are predictive of health behaviors throughout adulthood.9 Girls experience the steepest decline in PA in early adolescence compared to boys and any other age group, which positions them on a lifelong trajectory of inactivity and increased risk for disease.2,4 Among early adolescent …

Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor Reprograms The Bone Marrow Microenvironment To Suppress B Lymphopoiesis, Ryan Brent Day

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The production of hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow is tightly and dynamically regulated in response to environmental stimuli. In response to infection, the bone marrow increases granulopoiesis at the expense of lymphopoiesis. The mechanisms mediating this shift are poorly understood. We show that treatment with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), which is often induced during infection, results in marked decline of B lymphocytes at multiple stages of bone marrow B cell development. Transgenic mouse models show that G-CSF acts in a non-cell intrinsic fashion through cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage to suppress B lymphopoiesis by downregulating important B trophic factors …

Refining Associations Between Targeted Genes And The Development Of Substance Use Disorders, Emily Olfson

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide strong evidence for the contribution of a few specific genes to alcohol and nicotine dependence. Chapter 2 explores numerous previously identified candidate genes for alcohol dependence using a publicly available GWAS. I found that many candidate loci do not replicate, highlighting the utility of GWAS for focusing on disease associated genes. Chapters 3-5 dissect associations between three genome-wide significant genes and substance use disorders. Chapter 3 focuses on a functional variant in alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) 1B. Through examining 1,550 adolescent drinkers in the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA), I extended adult …

Role Of Atg16l1 In Uropathogenic E. Coli Pathogenesis, Jane Symington

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infectious diseases and are primarily caused by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). Given the greater incidence of antibiotic resistance among UPEC isolates, it is vital to determine factors and pathways important for an effective host response to UPEC in order to improve therapeutic options for combating UTIs. Autophagy is a cellular degradation pathway that plays important roles in pathogen control and modulation of innate immunity. One essential autophagy protein, ATG16L1, has been further implicated in controlling inflammation due to a common variant of ATG16L1 being associated with increased risk of Crohns disease, …

Four Essays In Education And Epidemiology, Brittni Danielle Jones

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation includes four, co-authored essays in which social epidemiological concepts and methods were applied to explore the nexus of race, education, and health in the United States. In the first two essays, colleagues and I employed geospatial mapping and analysis to examine the association between past, racially segregative, housing practices and the geospatial distribution of poor, education, health, and related developmental outcomes across Ferguson, Missouri, and the surrounding St. Louis metropolitan region. We investigated this association during two, respective cross-sections of time. Results revealed the nature and distribution of class and racial disparities across the region. Based on the …

Omcp Mediated Cowpox Virulence And Its Dependence On The Immune Receptors Nkg2d And Fcrl5., Michel Muzi Sun

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Viruses with large DNA genomes, such as cowpox virus, encode many open-reading frames involved in the modulation of the host immune system, facilitating escape from immune detection or downregulation of specific aspects of the host immune response. Investigation of virally-encoded immunoevasins has been instrumental in understanding host-pathogen interactions. Here, we focus on the cowpox virus immunoevasin Orthopoxvirus MHC Class I-like Protein (OMCP) and demonstrate for the first time that OMCP facilitates cowpox virus virulence in vivo. We have previously documented that OMCP binds the activating receptor NKG2D on NK cells as well as the orphan receptor FCRL5 on innate B …

Investigation Of Lung Structure-Function Relationships Using Hyperpolarized Noble Gases, Robert P. Thomen

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an application of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) phenomenon to non-invasively generate 3D tomographic images. MRI is an emerging modality for the lung, but it suffers from low sensitivity due to inherent low tissue density and short T₂*. Hyperpolarization is a process by which the nuclear contribution to NMR signal is greatly enhanced to more than 100,000 times that of samples in thermal equilibrium. The noble gases ³He and ¹²⁹Xe are most often hyperpolarized by transfer of light angular momentum through the electron of a vaporized alkali metal to the noble …

Understanding The Interactions Of Developing Thymocytes And Antigen Presenting Cells In The Thymic Medulla, Justin Shaun Arnold Perry

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Various thymic APC subsets have been invoked in deletional tolerance and Treg cell induction, but previous studies either assessed total T cell numbers or used TCR transgenic lines, obscuring roles that individual thymic APC subsets might serve for particular antigen-specific T cell populations. Utilizing T cell receptor sequencing, we found that medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) and bone marrow-derived (BM) APCs delete or select unique conventional and Treg cell TCR repertoires, demonstrating distinct roles for these APCs. We show that BM APCs and mTECs each contribute to Aire-dependent T cell tolerance development, albeit through either cooperative or autologous antigen presentation …

Social Support And Intimate Partnerships In African American Women With Breast Cancer, Tess Thompson

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study investigated social support in African American breast cancer patients in one Midwestern metropolitan area. The study includes a quantitative analysis of social support in 227 African American breast cancer patients participating in a quality of life study, as well as a qualitative component involving a subsample of 15 married participants. In the larger sample, growth curve models were used to assess factors contributing to initial levels of perceived social support and change in social support over time. Interviews with women in the qualitative study allowed an in-depth exploration of how breast cancer affected womens relationships with …

The Feasibility Of Using Metacognitive Strategy Training To Improve Performance, Foster Participation, And Reduce Impairment Following Neurological Injury, Timothy J. Wolf

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Executive function is central to our ability to learn and participate in everyday life activities and rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with executive dysfunction after neurological injury are poor. The impairments and performance challenges these individuals experience are typically not identified appropriately so they often do not receive adequate rehabilitation and can have significant challenges returning to complex everyday life activities. The vast majority of rehabilitation efforts to support individuals with neurological injuries with executive dysfunction are based on a restoration model that aims to improve cognitive function with the expectation that these gains will translate to everyday life. The available …

Can We Walk? Environmental Supports For Active Travel In India, Deepti Adlakha

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Rapid rates of increase of obesity, diabetes, and associated chronic and co-morbid non-communicable diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases and some cancers) are being documented in India, yet in-country evidence-based research of associated risk factors is lacking. Physical activity has been identified as a preventative factor to counter the risk from obesity-related non-communicable diseases. Built environment supports for physical activity represent promising strategies to curb the rise in non-communicable diseases. Mounting research evidence suggests that the built environment can facilitate or constrain physical activity. However, a majority of this research has been conducted in developed nations. Built environment correlates of physical …

A Social Network Analysis Of Active Transportation Policy Networks, Marissa Zwald

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: In an effort to increase physical activity, communities are recognizing the importance of policy and environmental changes to facilitate active transportation. However, evidence on the policy partnerships and processes to achieve such policy and environmental changes, particularly in non-health sectors, is lacking.

Methods: An online social network survey was administered in Fall 2015 to organizations engaged in active transportation policies in six cities across the United States. In addition to individual and organizational characteristics, relationships between organizations were assessed, including: level of collaboration around active transportation policies, frequency of contact, resource sharing to support active transportation, and perceived decisional …

The Molecular And Cellular Basis For Cold Sensation, Daniel Brenner

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ability to sense changes in temperature is crucial to surviving harsh environments. Over the last decade several ion channels that have been proposed to be cold sensitive have been identified, most notably TRPM8 and TRPA1. Although these molecules have been extensively studied in vitro, their exact roles in cold sensation in vivo are still debated. This uncertainty is in large part due to problems with the standard methods of testing cold sensitivity in vivo, which often rely on subjective measures of cold responsiveness. Experiments using these subjective measures have been repeated by different groups and have yielded conflicting results, …

Lesion Identification And The Effect Of Lesion On Motor Mapping After Stroke, Ruixi Zhou

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Stroke is the most common cause of long-term severe disability and the motor system that is most commonly affected in stroke. One of the mechanisms that underlies recovery of motor deficits is reorganization or remapping of functional representations around the motor cortex. This mechanism has been shown in monkeys, but results in human subjects have been variable. In this thesis, I used a database that includes longitudinal behavioral and multimodal imaging data in both stroke patients and healthy controls for two research projects. Firstly, I improved an automatic lesion segmentation method to aid in the identification of the location and …

The Role Of Notch Signaling On Heart Rate And Atrial Conduction, Somya Bhatnagar

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and can result in arrhythmias, or dysregulation in the electrical activation of the heart. Sick Sinus Syndrome (SSS) is characterized by sinus bradycardia (slowed heart rate, HR), slowed conduction through atrial myocardium, and can predispose to the development of atrial fibrillation. A developmental signaling pathway, Notch, regulates cellular identity through differentiation of cardiomyocytes (CMs) into cardiac conduction system-like cells. Previous data show that Notch electrically remodels the right atrium, causing slowed conduction velocity (CV) and hallmarks of SSS including sinus pauses, sinus bradycardia and a predisposition to atrial fibrillation. However, the …

Mu Opioid Receptor Desensitization In Inflammatory Pain, Matthew Bredder

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Due to the epidemic level of opioid overdose deaths in the United States, improving the treatment of chronic pain has become a pressing concern. Opioid treatments such as fentanyl and morphine activate mu opioid receptors (MORs), causing an increase in dopamine release. Long term use of opioids, even as prescribed by a physician, can desensitize the MORs and lead to the appearance of withdrawal symptoms when the receptors are no longer stimulated. Since pain increases endogenous opioid release, we hypothesized that this increase may cause MOR desensitization and the appearance of withdrawal syndrome upon blockade of MORs, as seen in …