Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Data-Driven Analysis Of Drug And Substance Abuse Rates Across The Varying Regions In The United States Of America, Reem Saleh

University Honors Theses

Drugs and substance abuse is one of the leading causes of death for adolescents in the United States. The consequences of using these drugs are profound and can cause both damage to one's physical and psychological health. The rates of drug abuse in the United States continue to increase over the years. This paper analyzes the trends in rates of drug abuse in the four regions in the United States. It looks at the rates in cocaine, cigarettes, marijuana, and tobacco. A preliminary analysis was done to look at the trend in rates followed by an ARIMA time series model …

Soft Lithographic Replication Of High Length-Scale Micropillars From Laser-Ablated Fused-Silica Templates, Jason Pitts

University Honors Theses

Soft lithography is a well-established route to wafer-scale reproduction of micro- and nanoscale features in a wide variety of materials. Nevertheless, micron length scales have yet to be explored, despite the potential utility of such structures. Here, polymer micropillars of 6-12 μm length, approximately 0.5-1.5 μm wide at 10 μm spacing are reproduced from a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mold made from patterned cellulose acetate (CA). The patterned CA was cast from a rigid fused silica template machined by a pulsed femtosecond laser. Pore topographic features were successfully reproduced in Norland Optical Adhesive (NOA), polycaprolactone (PCL), Nafion, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and …

Inhibition Of Cancer Causing Genes Through The Delivery Of Omomyc In Anti-Myc Therapy: A Systematic Review, Angie Mcgraw

University Honors Theses

A systematic review of the available studies on the interference of OmoMyc with Myc's function in cancerous cells is presented. Myc is a transcription factor that regulates cellular processes such as apoptosis, proliferation, and differentiation. However, Myc is often overexpressed in a variety of cancers, resulting in abnormal growth of cancer cells. Although the inhibition of Myc has been highly desired, it remained a challenge due to its undruggable characteristics. Attempts to inhibit Myc have involved the usage of small-molecules, but these attempts have failed, causing adverse effects and incomplete inhibition of Myc. Despite promising preclinical studies of OmoMyc, it …

Statistical Analysis Of Social Network Change, Teresa Danielle Schmidt

Dissertations and Theses

This project explores two statistical methods that infer social network structures and statistically test those structures for change over time: regression-based differential network analysis (R-DNA) and information theory-based differential analysis (I-DNA). R-DNA is adapted from bioinformatics and I-DNA employs reconstructability analysis.

This project applies both R-DNA and I-DNA to analyze Medicaid claims data from one-year periods before (May 2011- Apr 2012) and after (Jan 2013-Dec 2013) the formation of the Health Share of Oregon Coordinated Care Organization (CCO). The formation of CCOs was legislated by the state of Oregon in 2012 with the triple aim of improving health outcomes, reducing …

Controlling Water Exchange Kinetics And Improving Paracest Imaging, Jacqueline R. Slack

Dissertations and Theses

Generating MR image contrast from exogenous contrast media through chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) offers several exciting new possibilities, such as multicolored imaging, the interleaving of pre- and post-contrast images, and the potential to perform ratiometric metabolic imaging. The major limitation of the deployment of CEST imaging is the comparatively high detection limits of exogenous agents and particularly at the low B_¹ power levels required to meet SAR requirements. The large chemical shifts afforded by paramagnetic (paraCEST) agents permit more rapid exchange kinetics and therefore potentially more effective contrast agents. Despite comparatively large chemical shifts, many Ln³⁺ DOTA-tetraamide …

Development Of Physics Curriculum For Pre-Health Students, Elliot Eckman Mylott

Dissertations and Theses

Many pre-health students are required to take introductory physics as undergraduates, though they often struggle to see the relationship between medicine and what they learn in these courses. In order to help students make that connection, reformed curriculum was adopted that teaches physics through the context of biomedicine. This dissertation will discuss the development, implementation, and assessment of the reformed curriculum for the introductory and intermediate level physics courses that targets the needs of pre-health students.

The curriculum created during this project include laboratory activities, multimedia content, and other instructional materials all of which present physics in biomedical contexts. The …

Novel Compound, 84f2, Inhibits Calmodulin Deficient Ryr2, Robert Carl Klipp

Dissertations and Theses

The cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) plays a key role in excitation-contraction coupling (ECC). Mutations in RyR2 are known to be linked to the arrhythmogenic disorder, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), a deadly disease which is characterized by a leak of calcium from sarcoplasmic reticulum and a decrease in calmodulin (CaM) binding. A novel drug, 84F2, shown to inhibit arrhythmias in RyR2-R176Q heterozygous CPVT mouse hearts (2.5 µg/kg), decrease spark frequency in cells derived from CPVT mice (IC₅₀ = 35 nM), and inhibit RyR2 single channel activity at low nanomolar concentrations (IC₅₀ = 8 nM). When CaM is added …

Investigations Into The Effects Of Water Exchange And The Structure Of Lanthanide Chelates, Katherine Marie Payne

Dissertations and Theses

Lanthanide chelates are effective agents for improving contrast in MR images. Optimizing the relaxation of inner sphere water molecules is a common focus of research in this field. However, the efforts to design an optimal contrast agent have commonly over-looked the relationship of water position and water exchange kinetics. This work explores structural conformation, the impact of very fast water exchange kinetics on hydration, and differing tumbling rates for regioisomers of a number of lanthanide chelates. We have grown crystals of LnDOTMA and obtained structural data by X-ray diffraction that provide a picture of the chelate during water exchange and …

Effects Of Antibiotic Mixtures Across Marine Intertidal Trophic Levels: Examining Environmentally-Relevant Contaminant Concentrations, Jaclyn Rebecca Teixeira

Dissertations and Theses

Approximately 48% of Americans use prescription drugs within each 30-day period, and there are signs this trend is increasing. Although many studies track pharmaceuticals’ fates in contaminating waterways, only fairly recent efforts have examined the potential impacts of these drugs on non-target organisms. The antibiotics sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, often prescribed together to treat bacterial infections, have been detected worldwide in marine and estuarine environments at concentrations up to 700-800 ng/L each. Toxic effects of these drugs have been identified in freshwater organisms, with synergistic effects observed in short-term studies of mixtures of the two; however, little research has examined possible …

Quef And Quef-Like: Diverse Chemistries In A Common Fold, Adriana Bon Ramos

Dissertations and Theses

The tunneling fold (T-Fold) superfamily is a small superfamily of enzymes found in organisms encompassing all kingdoms of life. Seven members have been identified thus far. Despite sharing a common three-dimensional structure these enzymes perform very diverse chemistries.

QueF is a bacterial NADPH-dependent oxidoreductase that catalyzes the reduction of the nitrile group of 7-cyano-7-deazaguanine (preQ₀) to a primary amine (preQ₁) in the queuosine biosynthetic pathway. Previous work on this enzyme has revealed the mechanism of reaction but the cofactor binding residues remain unknown. The experiments discussed herein aim to elucidate the role of residues lysine 80, …

Assessment Of A Mycorrhizal Fungi Application To Treat Stormwater In An Urban Bioswale, Alaina Diane Melville

Dissertations and Theses

This study assessed the effect of an application of mycorrhizal fungi to stormwater filter media on urban bioswale soil and stormwater in an infiltration-based bioswale aged 20 years with established vegetation. The study tested the use of commercially available general purpose biotic soil blend PermaMatrix^® BSP Foundation as a treatment to enhance Earthlite^™ stormwater filter media amelioration of zinc, copper, and phosphorus in an ecologically engineered structure designed to collect and infiltrate urban stormwater runoff before it entered the nearby Willamette River.

These results show that the application of PermaMatrix^® BSP Foundation biotic soil amendment to Earthlite …

Pharmaceutical Contaminants As Stressors On Rocky Intertidal And Estuarine Organisms: A Case Study Of Fluoxetine, Joseph Richard Peters

Dissertations and Theses

Contaminants such as pharmaceuticals are of increasing concern due to their ubiquitous use and persistence in surface waters worldwide. Limited attention has been paid to the effects of pharmaceuticals on marine life, despite widespread detection of these contaminants in the marine environment. Of the existing studies, the majority assess the negative effects of pharmaceuticals over an exposure period of 30 days or less and focus on cellular and subcellular biomarkers. Longer studies are required to determine if chronic contaminant exposure poses risks to marine life at environmentally relevant concentrations. Also scarce in the literature is examination of whole organism effects …

Design And Synthesis Of Novel Chloroquine-Based Antimalarials, Kevin Vincent Murphy

Dissertations and Theses

Malaria is an infectious, often fatal disease that afflicts nearly 200 million people every year. The disease, characterized by recurring and extreme flu-like symptoms, is caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Victims usually contract the disease through a mosquito vector. Chloroquine is a chemotherapeutic that was introduced in the 1940s. For many years the drug was the foremost treatment of malaria, being effective and producing few side effects. Unfortunately, tolerance to chloroquine developed when the parasite evolved a resistance mechanism. Newer drugs have been developed and implemented, but these medicines also show a decreasing effect with continued administration. …

Facile Methods For The Analysis Of Lysophosphatidic Acids In Human Plasma, Jialu Wang

Dissertations and Theses

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) influences many physiological processes, such as brain and vascular development. It is associated with several diseases including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, multiple myeloma atherosclerotic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary inflammatory diseases and renal diseases. LPA plasma and serum levels have been reported to be important values in diagnosing ovarian cancer and other diseases. However, the extraction and quantification of LPA in plasma are very challenging because of the low physiological concentration and similar structures of LPA to other phospholipids. Many previous studies have not described the separation of LPA from other phospholipids, …

Selective Indicators For Optical Determination Of Disease Biomarkers, Lovemore Hakuna

Dissertations and Theses

The most abundant biological thiols, homocysteine (Hcy), cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH) have been the subject of intense research due to their association with a wide range of diseases. They play a key role in maintaining the redox status of biological systems. Selective detection methods for these thiols are challenging due to their similar structures and properties. Current commercially available detection methods use separations, fragile and expensive enzymatic or immunogenic materials and complex instrumentation. This has led to a global effort towards developing simple and inexpensive optical probes and indicators selective for specific biological thiols.

Highly selective chemical probes and …

Community Level Impacts Associated With The Invasion Of English Ivy (Hedera Spp.) In Forest Park: A Look At The Impacts Of Ivy On Community Composition And Soil Moisture, Sara Rose Copp

Dissertations and Theses

Invasive species degrade ecosystems by altering natural processes and decreasing the abundance and diversity of native flora. Communities with major fluctuations in resource supply allow invasive species to exploit limiting resources making the community prone to invasion. In the Pacific Northwest, urban forests characterized with limited light and seasonally limited soil moisture are being dominated by nonnative English ivy (Hedera spp). Three observational studies were conducted in the Southern end of Forest Park within the Balch Creek Subwatershed in Portland, Oregon in order to understand 1) how English ivy changes over three growing seasons, 2) how the native …

Characterization Of Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate Protein Conjugates, Morgen Mhike

Dissertations and Theses

Diisocyanates (dNCO) such as methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) are used primarily as cross-linking agents in the production of polyurethane products such as paints, elastomers, coatings and adhesives, and are the most frequently reported cause of chemically induced immunologic sensitization and occupational asthma (OA). Immune mediated hypersensitivity reactions to dNCOs include allergic rhinitis, asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and allergic contact dermatitis.

There is currently no simple diagnosis for the identification of dNCO asthma due to the variability of symptoms and uncertainty regarding the underlying mechanisms. Immunological sensitization due to dNCO exposure is traditionally thought to require initial conjugation of the dNCO to …

Modeling Fecal Bacteria In Oregon Coastal Streams Using Spatially Explicit Watershed Characteristics, Paul Bryce Pettus

Dissertations and Theses

Pathogens, such as Escherichia coli and fecal coliforms, are causing the majority of water quality impairments in U.S., making up ~87% of this grouping's violations. Predicting and characterizing source, transport processes, and microbial survival rates is extremely challenging, due to the dynamic nature of each of these components. This research built upon current analytical methods that are used as exploratory tools to predict pathogen indicator counts across regional scales. Using a series of non-parametric methodologies, with spatially explicit predictors, 6657 samples from non-estuarine lotic streams were analyzed to make generalized predictions of regional water quality. 532 frequently sampled sites in …

Investigation Of The Structure And Dynamics Of Regioisomeric Eu³⁺ And Gd³⁺ Chelates Of Nb-Dotma: Implications For Mri Contrast Agent Design, Benjamin Charles Webber

Dissertations and Theses

The detection of disease and abnormal pathology by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been aided significantly by the use of gadolinium (Gd³⁺)-based contrast agents (CAs) over the past three decades. MRI and MRI CAs play a critical role in diagnosing tumors and diseases of the central nervous system. The agents used clinically have been shown to safely increase MRI contrast despite the toxicity of Gd³⁺, owing to the high kinetic and thermodynamic stability of these chelates. However, current CAs enhance contrast at a small fraction of what is theoretically possible. This leads to the necessity of …

Developing Thyronamine Analog Pharmaceuticals Targeting Taar1 To Treat Methamphetamine Addiction, Troy Andrew Wahl

Dissertations and Theses

As a part of the overall program in the Grandy laboratory at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), studying the underlying chemical biology of methamphetamine (Meth) addiction, this dissertation reports on the development of six new thyronamine analogs which were synthesized and assayed against trace amine associated receptor 1 (TAAR1), giving preliminary results consistent with the analogs being inverse agonists. Due to highly variable TAAR1 expression levels in the assays, based on inter-assay response to control Meth stimulation as well as other possible factors, kinetic models were developed to qualitatively explain the assay results. The models set approximate limits on …

Development And Implementation Of Acoustic Feedback Control For Scanning Probe Microscopy, Rodolfo Fernandez Rodriguez

Dissertations and Theses

A remote-sensing acoustic method for implementing position control feedback in Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) is presented. The capabilities of this feedback control using the new Whispering Gallery Acoustic Sensing (WGAS) method is demonstrated in a Shear-force Scanning Probe Microscope that uses a sharp probe attached to a piezoelectric Quartz Tuning Fork (QTF) firmly mounted on the microscope's frame. As the QTF is electrically driven its mechanical response reaches the SPM frame which then acts as a resonant cavity producing acoustic modes measured with an acoustic sensor strategically placed on the SPM head. The novelty of the WGAS resides in using …

Short-Term Plasticity At The Schaffer Collateral: A New Model With Implications For Hippocampal Processing, Andrew Hamilton Toland

Dissertations and Theses

A new mathematical model of short-term synaptic plasticity (STP) at the Schaffer collateral is introduced. Like other models of STP, the new model relates short-term synaptic plasticity to an interaction between facilitative and depressive dynamic influences. Unlike previous models, the new model successfully simulates facilitative and depressive dynamics within the framework of the synaptic vesicle cycle. The novelty of the model lies in the description of a competitive interaction between calcium-sensitive proteins for binding sites on the vesicle release machinery. By attributing specific molecular causes to observable presynaptic effects, the new model of STP can predict the effects of specific …