Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Sensitization Of Behavioral Response To Maternal Separation: Persistence Of The Effect And Role Of Proinflammatory Activity, Jessie Caraway

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Maternal separation in guinea pigs produces a biphasic response consisting of an active behavior phase followed by a phase of passive behavior (crouched stance, piloerection, and eye closure). Previous studies suggest that pro-inflammatory cytokines mediate passive behavior during the passive phase. It is also known that guinea pig pups separated on two consecutive days show a significant increase (sensitization) in full passive behavior on the second day. The current study examined the persistence and role of pro-inflammatory activity in the sensitization of passive behavior in maternally separated guinea pigs. Guinea pig pups were assigned to one of four groups differing …

Drosophila Nicotinamidase And Sir2 In Longevity Regulation And Oxidative Stress Response, And The Implications For Aging Theory, Gregory Miller

Wayne State University Dissertations

The protein deacetylase Sir2 has been shown to increase lifespan in a variety of organisms, possibly through its ability to engender the effects of dietary restriction. The Drosophila nicotinamidase DNAAM increases lifespan in a Sir2 dependant manner, and may play a role in oxidative stress resistance. Oxidative damage that accumulates in cells during normal aging contributes to a variety of diseases and pathologies, and can result in an increase in age specific mortality. Accordingly, the oxidative stress theory of aging predicts that organisms with an increased tolerance to oxidative damage will have an increased longevity, while organisms with decreased tolerance …

The Interictal State In Epilepsy And Behavior, Daniel Tice Barkmeier

Wayne State University Dissertations

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases, affecting up to 1% of the world population. Epilepsy remains poorly understood and there are currently no medications to cure it. Patients with epilepsy have both seizures as well as another type of abnormal activity between seizures, known as interictal spikes. Interictal spikes have thus far been poorly researched, yet growing evidence supports an important role for them in epilepsy. In this project, we first show the high variability between reviewers in marking interictal spikes on intracranial EEG, and then develop and test an automated detection method to solve this problem. …

Activation Of Tumor Cell Death Program By Targeting The Ubiquitin-Proteasome Pathway: Significance In Cancer Treatment And Prevention, Michael Joseph Frezza

Wayne State University Dissertations

ACTIVATION OF TUMOR CELL DEATH PROGRAM BY TARGETING THE UBIQUITIN-PROTEASOME PATHWAY: SIGNIFICANCE IN CANCER TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

by

MICHAEL FREZZA

August 2010

Advisor: Dr. Q. Ping Dou

Major: Cancer Biology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway serves as a quality control mechanism to regulate the degradation of intracellular proteins involved in a wide array of cellular processes including tumorigeneis. Thus targeting key features of protein turnover responsible for the growth and proliferation of cancer have emerged as a favorable approach in cancer therapy. Both in vitro and in vivo experimental and clinical results have demonstrated the potential use of …

Immunomodulatory Effect Of Host And Fungal Eicosanoids During Host-Pathogen Interactions With Candida Albicans, Gitanjali Kundu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Candida albicans, an opportunistic fungal pathogen, poses a significant clinical threat to immunocompromised patients. Diseases associated with this fungus ranges from superficial mucosal infection to life-threatening systemic candidiasis. The mechanisms by which Candida persists at mucosal surfaces in the face of an adaptive response are unclear. Candida produces immunomodulatory oxylipins that cross-react functionally with host eicosanoids, which are considered to play important role in regulating innate and adaptive immune responses. Our objective was to characterize the role of prostaglandins produced by the host and this fungus during host pathogen interactions, both in vitro with dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages, and …

Enzymology And Medicinal Chemistry Of N5-Carboxyaminoimidazole Ribonucleotide Synthetase : A Novel Antibacterial Target, Hanumantharao Paritala

Wayne State University Dissertations

N5-Carboxyaminoimidazole ribonucleotide synthetase (N5-CAIR synthetase), a key enzyme in microbial de novo purine biosynthesis, catalyzes the conversion of aminoimidazole ribonucleotide (AIR) to N5-CAIR. To date, this enzyme has been observed only in microorganisms, and thus, it represents an ideal target for antimicrobial drug development. Here we report structural and functional studies on the Aspergillus clavatus N5-CAIR synthetase and identification of inhibitors for the enzyme. In collaboration with Dr. Hazel Holden of the University of Wisconsin, the three-dimensional structure of Aspergillus clavatus N5-CAIR synthetase was solved in the presence of either Mg2ATP or MgADP and AIR. These structures, determined to 2.1 …

A Study Of The Associations Between Childhood Obesity And Three Forms Of Social Capital, Cynthia Bala-Brusilow

Wayne State University Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to expand the understanding of childhood obesity in American children by examining the associations between obesity in children and measures of social capital.

Context: Persons between 2 and 20 years of age are categorized as "obese" if their BMI is in 95th percentile or above for their age and sex using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) BMI-for-age growth charts. Obesity prevalence has more than quadrupled in the last 40 years in the United States for children. Social capital, in the study of health, can be defined as resources accrued and/or …

Is Private Long-Term Care Insurance Affordable For Older Adults?, Nayoung Kim

Wayne State University Dissertations

Nationwide there are fewer than 7 million long-term care (LTC) insurance policies in force. Why do so few Americans buy private long-term care (LTC) insurance? Several theories have been offered as possible explanations, including the availability of Medicaid, misperceptions that Medicare or other policies cover LTC, beliefs that one's own risk of needing LTC services is small, or desires to simply rely on children and spouses for LTC. This study examines another possible explanation - that private LTC insurance is simply "unaffordable" for most older Americans, which may be why they don't buy it.

This study begins by investigating the …

Defensins In Ocular Immunity, Minhao Wu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Corneal infection with P. aeruginosa results in corneal perforation in susceptible

B6, but not resistant BALB/c mice. This study explored their role mBD 1-4 in corneal

infection, and their potential synergy. Immunostaining and real-time RT-PCR data

demonstrated that their expression was either constitutive (mBD1 and mBD2) or

inducible (mBD3 and mBD4) in normal BALB/c and B6 corneas, and disparately

regulated in BALB/c vs B6 corneas after infection. Knock down studies using siRNA

treatment indicated that mBD2 and mBD3, but neither mBD1 nor mBD4, is required in

ocular defense. Moreover, in vivo studies demonstrated individual and combined effects

of mBD2 and …

Communicative Competence In Persons With Aphasia: The Impact Of Executive Function, Judy Marie Mikola

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between executive function and performance on selected linguistic tasks in persons with aphasia secondary to left frontal lesions.

A group of 15 persons with aphasia (PWA) completed three communication board tasks of varying levels of complexity and structure. The subject's functional use of the picture/word communication board was tested during a Story Retelling task. In addition, the PWA's executive function skills were examined using six nonverbal tests. The PWA group performance scores were compared to that of the neurologically healthy control group.

Results demonstrated that the control group performed significantly …

Development And Validation Of A Measurement Scale To Analyze The Environment For Evidence-Based Medicine Learning And Practice By Medical Residents, Fangqiong Mi

Wayne State University Dissertations

A growing number of residency programs are instituting curricula to include the component of evidence-based medicine (EBM) principles and process. However, these curricula may not be able to achieve the optimal learning outcomes, perhaps because various contextual factors are often overlooked when EBM training is being designed, developed, and implemented. The purpose of the study was to develop and validate an instrument, the EBM Environment Scale, to analyze the environment for EBM learning and practice as perceived by medical residents.

The development of the EBM Environment Scale underwent the process of content domain identification, item generation, review by content experts …

Preparation And Characterization Of Lyophilized Cyclodextrin Complexes Of A Hemisuccinate Ester Of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol For Transmucosal Delivery, Sampada Bhaskar Upadhye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Delta-9- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary active ingredient of the plant Cannabis sativa (marijuana), responsible for the majority of the pharmacological effects. The most promising clinical applications of THC approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are for the control of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and for appetite stimulation of AIDS patients suffering from anorexia and wasting syndrome. The only dosage form currently approved by FDA is an oral, soft gelatin capsule (e.g. Marinol®). In addition, orally administered THC from Marinol® has shown slow and variable absorption due to low oral solubility and first pass metabolism. Our …

Determinants Of Bone Mineral Density In African-American And Caucasian College-Aged Women, Andrea K. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Osteoporosis is a serious health issue affecting 10 million Americans, with an additional 44 million being at risk. Due to the morbidity and mortality associated with fractures caused by osteoporosis, it is an important public health concern. Some researchers suggest that African-American women fracture at a lower rate when compared to Caucasians with the same bone mineral density (BMD). However, when African-American women do fracture, they have higher mortality and morbidity rates. Data regarding risk factors and prevalence of low BMD among African American and Caucasian college-aged women are limited. Purpose. The primary purpose of this research was to explain …

The Use Of Social Marketing Messages In An Anti-Tobacco Context: An Investigation Of Irish Female Adolescents, Barry Griffin

Theses

The WHO (2008) report states that although tobacco deaths rarely make headlines, tobacco kills one person globally every six seconds. Tobacco kills a third to a half of all people who use it, on average 15 years prematurely. Today tobacco use causes 1 in 10 deaths among adults worldwide - more than 5 million people a year (Murray and Lopez, 2006). The Irish Office of Tobacco Control’s research has confirmed that initiation into smoking is largely a childhood phenomenon. More than 75% of all smokers in Ireland started to smoke before they reached the age of 18 (HBSC Ireland, 2006). …

The Application Of Social Marketing In Increasing Blood Donation Among Donors And Non Donors: The Case Of Third Level Students., John Healy

Theses

In today’s society, blood donation is dependent on the goodwill of people to voluntarily donate blood without financial reward. There is a continuous need for new blood donors, because the demand for donor blood is increasing, whereas the supply of blood is declining. Three thousand blood donations are needed in Ireland every week. Maintaining an adequate supply is the biggest challenge. Only 3.6% of the population in the Republic of Ireland donate blood. This leaves an enormous potential blood donor base, which if tapped into and maintained could lead to an adequate reserve of donations to meet the transfusion needs …

The Rapid Identification Of Novel Anti-Mycobacterial Drugs And The Transporters Involved In Their Resistance, James Carroll

Theses

Despite the success of anti-mycobacterial drugs over the past 70 years, mycobacterial disease, particularly tuberculosis is still responsible for millions of deaths worldwide. Additionally, the emergence of Multidrug Resistant (MDR-TB) and Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR-TB) Tuberculosis throughout the world has motivated calls by the World Health Organization for novel mycobacterial drugs, vaccines and diagnostic tests. Consequently, this study sought to identify and evaluate the efficacy of a range of anti-mycobacterial compounds against a representative cohort of pathogenic mycobacterial species. The development and employment of the rapid, robust and inexpensive microtitre alamarBlue assay (MABA) facilitated the assessment of a vast array …

An Evidence Based Multi-Activity Handwashing Education Program In Children, Sandra M. Annesi

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Proper handwashing is one of the simplest, most affordable and effective means of stopping the spread of infection. Due to the close proximity of children in schools and child care settings, there is a high risk for the spread of infectious disease. The purpose of this project was to improve handwashing behaviors of three to six year old children in a community school setting by implementing an evidence based multi-activity handwashing education program. The objective was to increase understanding of the relationship between germs and handwashing, as well as increase the frequency and correct technique procedure of handwashing behavior in …

Inpatient Group Psychotherapy: Predicting Attendance And Participation, Sharon E. Silverberg

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Inpatient group psychotherapy is one of the primary talk therapy interventions offered to patients necessitating acute psychiatric treatment. Research indicates that patients who attend and participate in group psychotherapy sessions while admitted to psychiatric hospitals have a lower rate of recidivism and are more successful in the community utilizing lower levels of psychiatric care. Unfortunately, not all patients attend group psychotherapy while admitted to a psychiatric facility and therefore do not benefit, possibly contributing to non-compliance with community-based treatment and readmissions to inpatient psychiatric institutions for stabilization and safety. This lack of participation in group psychotherapy deprives the patient the …

Using The Andersen Behavioral Model Of Health Services Use To Examine Adult Uninsured Patient Health Services Use At A Community Health Center, Jewel Shonette Goodman

Health Services Research Dissertations

Prescription medications are essential to the treatment and management of chronic conditions (Smith et al., 2005). Lack of access can result in pain, worsening of the condition and increased risk of additional health problems. Health care expenditures in the United States were reportedly 1.7 trillion in 2003 (Smithetal.,2005) and exceeded" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-table; line-height: 0; font-size: 16.66px; overflow-wrap: normal; word-spacing: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px; position: relative;">1.7trillionin2003(Smithetal.,2005)andexceeded1.7trillionin2003(Smithetal.,2005)andexceeded2.3 trillion in 2008 (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2010). Prescription medication costs …

Pressure Ulcer Risk Factors For Patients With Hospital Versus Community Acquired Pressure Ulcers, Margaret Talley Phd, Mn, Rn, Cns, Cwcn-Ap

Dissertations

Purpose: Pressure ulcers are a major health problem in the United States. Patients who develop pressure ulcers have longer hospital stays, significant increase in morbidity and mortality, added pain and suffering. The purpose of this study was to examine community versus hospital specific pressure ulcer risk factors to identify whether the most severe pressure ulcer stages can be predicted from the knowledge of an individual's risk factors as has been reported in the literature. Methodology: The sample of patients with stageable III-IV and unstageable pressure ulcer patients included in the analysis was extracted from a Microsoft Access database developed by …

Synthesis, Characterization And Biological Activity Of Copper (Ii) And Zinc (Ii) Complexes Of Thiosemicarbazones And Their N(4)-Substituted Derivatives Derived From 2,4-Dihydroxybenzaldehyde., Tan Kong Wai

Student Works (2010-2019)

Four thiosemicarbazones ligands (1-4) have been prepared with good yield by refluxing 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde with thiosemicarbazide or N(4)-substituted thiosemicarbazide in ethanol or methanol. From these four ligands, 16 new ternary metal complexes (5-20) with the general formulation of M(B)L have been prepared from the reactions of metal acetates with 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde N(4)-substituted thiosemicarbazone in the presence of N,N-heterocyclic base (M2+ = Zn2+ or Cu2+; B = 2,2'-bipyridine, (bpy); 1,10-phenanthroline, (phen); L2- = doubly deprotonated thiosemicarbazones = 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazonato, (HT); 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde 4-methylthiosemicarbazonato, (HM); 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde 4-ethylthiosemicarbazonato, (HE) and 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde 4-phenylthiosemicarbazonato, (HP)) These compounds have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR, UV-Vis, NMR and magnetic …

The Role Of Apoptosis In Hela Cells Expressing Hiv-1 Rev, Elizabeth Page

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The HIV protein Rev is a nucleolar protein that regulates late gene expression in infected cells by promoting the export of under-spliced viral RNAs (Pollard and Malim, 1998). Its over-expression can also inhibit progression through mitosis (Miyazaki et al., 1995), possibly through its ability to depolymerize microtubules (Watts et al., 2000). Consequently, Rev may activate the spindle assembly checkpoint in mitotic cells and increase the frequency of apoptosis. Rev also binds the nucleolar protein B23 involved in ribosome maturation and centrosome duplication. Because loss of B23 function stimulates apoptosis (Ahn et al., 2005), Rev expression may promote apoptosis by inhibiting …

Short-Term Administration Of Corticosterone Has Lasting Effects On Learning In Young Rats, Christine L. Wentworth-Eidsaune

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Corticosterone is a glucocorticoid released as part of the body's response to stress and is known to affect cognitive function, presumably via effects on the hippocampus. Trace classical eyeblink conditioning depends on the hippocampus, and has been used to examine the development of learning processes in young organisms. Experiment 1 was a dosing study, in which time course of effect of corticosterone was followed in 15-day-old Long-Evans rat pups over 24 hours for 4 different concentrations (high: 0.02 mg/g body weight (b.w.), medium: 0.01mg/g b.w., low: 0.005 mg/g b.w. and a vehicle control). In Experiment 2, two subcutaneous injections (0.02 …

Developmental Expression Of Calcium Buffering Proteins In Central Auditory Pathways Of Normal Hearing And Congenitally Deaf Mice, Adam S. Deardorff

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These experiments analyze differences in synaptic development in central auditory pathways between normal hearing (CBA/J) and congenitally deaf (dn/dn) mice, which provide valuable insight into central synaptic plasticity corresponding to human congenital deafness. Immunofluorescent analysis of the developmental expression of the calcium buffering proteins calretinin, calbindin d-28k, and parvalbumin at various postnatal time points was performed to assess the effects of altered neural activity on the level and/or pattern of protein expression within these nuclei. Results indicate that the pattern of calbindin and parvalbumin is unaffected by congenital deafness in dn/dn mice. However, the pattern of calretinin expression in the …

Presynaptic Regulation Of Carotid Body Type I Cells By Histaminergic And Muscarinic Receptors, Carrie Marie Thompson

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Type I cells are one of two main cell types located within the carotid body. These cells respond to hypoxia, hypercapnia, and acidosis by releasing excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. This causes increased firing of the carotid sinus nerve and restores blood gas levels to their physiological values. While previous studies have shown whether individual neurotransmitters are excitatory or inhibitory, this work demonstrates how the interplay between two neurotransmitters may potentially shape the output of the carotid body. Histamine, which has previously been shown to have no effect on intracellular Ca2+ in type I cells, may function to modulate the actions …

Predictors Of Success Of The National Council Licensure Examination For Registered Nurses Among Transfer Bsn Students, Mary E. Fortier

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Psychosocial Correlates Of Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy (Art) In People Living With Hiv In Kenya, Thomas M. Kamau

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Able Scale: The Development And Psychometric Properties Of A New Outcome Measure For The Spinal Cord Injury Population, Elizabeth Ardolino

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Effect Of An Incline Walking Surface And The Contribution Of Balance On Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters Of Older Adults, Richard A. Ferraro

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Physiological Correlates Of Race-Related Stress And Health Among African Americans And Latinos, Daniel Cruz

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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