Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Genome-Wide Association Studies At The Interface Of Alzheimer’S Disease And Epidemiologically Related Disorders, Christopher Ryan Simmons

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS)s provide an unbiased means of exploring the landscape of complex genetic disease. As such, these studies have identified genetic variants that are robustly associated with a multitude of conditions. I hypothesize that these genetic variants serve as excellent tools for evaluation of the genetic interface between epidemiologically related conditions. Herein, I test the association between SNPs associated with either (i) plasma lipids, (ii) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or (iii) diabetes mellitus (DM) and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to identify shared genetic variants. Regarding the most significantly AD-associated variants, I have also attempted to elucidate their molecular function. …

The Absence Of Abcd2 Reveals A Novel Role For Peroxisomes In The Protection From Metabolic Syndrome, Jingjing Liu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

ABCD2 (D2) is a peroxisomal ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter that is expressed in brain, adrenal and liver. D2 is transcriptionally regulated by key transcriptional factors that control lipid and glucose metabolism. Therefore, we examined its role in adipose tissue. These studies revealed that D2 is highly abundant in adipose tissue and upregulated during adipogenesis. However, D2 deficiency does not affect either adipogenesis or lipid accumulation. An examination of the lipid profile of adipose tissue revealed the accumulation of C20 and C22 fatty acids in D2 deficient (D2‐/‐) mice. When challenged with a diet enriched in erucic acid (C22:1, 10% …

Androgen Increases Angiotensin Receptor Type 1a On Smooth Muscle Cells To Promote Angiotensin Ii-Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, Xuan Zhang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether androgen promotes AT1aR expression on smooth muscle to confer high prevalence of AngII-induced AAAs in hyperlipidemic mice. In addition, we also investigate the role of androgen in the progression of established AngII-induced AAAs.

First, we sought to examine the role of endogenous androgen in the growth of established AngII-induced AAAs. By castrating male mice, we demonstrated that removal of endogenous androgen significantly decreased the progressive lumen dilation of established AngII-induced AAAs in male ApoE-/- mice, but had no effect on external AAA diameters. These results suggest that androgen contributes to the …

Post-Transcriptional Regulation Of Afp And Igm Genes, Lilia M. Turcios

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Gene expression can be regulated at multiple steps once transcription is initiated. I have studied two different gene models, the α-Fetoprotein (AFP) and the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgM) genes, to better understand post-transcriptional gene regulation mechanisms. The AFP gene is highly expressed during fetal liver development and dramatically repressed after birth. There is a mouse strain-specific difference between adult levels of AFP, with BALB/cJ mice expressing 10 to 20-fold higher levels compared to other mouse strains. BALB/cJ mice express low levels of Zhx2 and thus incompletely repress AFP. Despite differences in steady state AFP mRNA levels in the adult liver …

Identifying Patients At Risk For Obstructive Sleep Apnea In Primary Health Care : Can Obesity In Combination With Other High-Risk Diagnoses Be Used For Screening Purposes?, Clelia Lima

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects about 15 million adults in the United States, and is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality. The under-diagnosing of OSA has been linked to the inadequate screening by primary care practitioners (PCPs). Existing screening tools are not widely used by PCPs possibly due to time constraints they experience as providers. This study demonstrates how common high-risk diagnoses (obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, dyslipidemia, arrhythmia, and coronary artery disease) can be used to help PCPs identify adult patients at risk for OSA. Unlike other screening tools, these diagnoses are easy to identify in a …

Factors Related To Birth Transition Success Of Late-Preterm Infants, Karen L. Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Problem: Identifying the factors effecting birth transition success of late preterm infants may improve early recognition of newborn compromise. Multiple explanatory variables may be associated with birth transition success or failure. The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of, and clinical-epidemiological and demographic predictive factors for birth transition success of late preterm infants. Methods: A retrospective case-control chart review was used to compare the characteristics of successful and unsuccessful birth transition of 35 and 36 week gestational age late-preterm infants delivered in a large tertiary-care center during calendar year 2007. A mixture of categorical and numeric variables …

The Role Of The Nr4a Orphan Nuclear Receptor Nor1 In Vascular Cells And Atherosclerosis, Yue Zhao

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The neuron-derived orphan receptor 1 (NOR1) belongs to the NR4A nuclear receptor subfamily. As an immediate early response gene, NOR1 is rapidly induced by a broad spectrum of physiological and pathological signals. Functional studies demonstrate NOR1 as a constitutively active ligand-independent nuclear receptor whose transcriptional activity is dependent on both expression level and posttranslational modifications. To date, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated a pivotal role of NOR1 in the transcriptional control of metabolism and the development of cardiovascular diseases.

In this dissertation, we demonstrate NOR1 expression in endothelial cells and sub-endothelial cells of human atherosclerotic lesions. In response …

Functional Connectivity For Configural And Featural Face Processing In The Broad Autism Phenotype, Jonathan Darrell Clark

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

During normal development, face processing involves a gradual shift from a featurally oriented style to a mature configural style by adolescence. This shift may coincide with increased right hemispheric dominance for faces supporting configural processing. Previous studies suggest that individuals diagnosed with ASD continue to process faces using individual parts and features into adulthood. This continued bias may be due to deficits in configural processing abilities. The current study investigated measures of functional connectivity during featural and configural processing of faces in broad autism phenotype sibling (ASD-sibs) children compared to age, sex, and handedness matched normal developing (ND) controls and …

Implementation Effectiveness Of Campus Tobacco-Free Policies, Amanda Fallin

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure are leading causes of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States. Outdoor tobacco smoke exposure conveys many of the same risks as indoor secondhand smoke exposure. Tobacco-free campuses policies are an intervention to promote a positive social norm that encourages smoking cessation, as well as reduces exposure to outdoor tobacco smoke. This dissertation contains a review of the policy implementation literature; findings from a psychometric analysis of the newly developed Tobacco-free Compliance Assessment Tool (TF-CAT) to assess compliance with tobacco-free campus policies; and results of a campus intervention study to promote compliance. The …

Atomic Force Microscopy Method Development For Surface Energy Analysis, Clare Aubrey Medendorp

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The vast majority of pharmaceutical drug products are developed, manufactured, and delivered in the solid-state where the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is crystalline. With the potential to exist as polymorphs, salts, hydrates, solvates, and cocrystals, each with their own unique associated physicochemical properties, crystals and their forms directly influence bioavailability and manufacturability of the final drug product. Understanding and controlling the crystalline form of the API throughout the drug development process is absolutely critical. Interfacial properties, such as surface energy, define the interactions between two materials in contact. For crystal growth, surface energy between crystal surfaces and liquid environments not …

Novel Mechanisms In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Razvan I. Arsenescu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative colitis, are idiopathic chronic conditions with multifactorial determinants. In general, terms, intestinal inflammation results from abnormal host-microbe interactions. Alterations in homeostasis involve host genetic factors, environmental cues and unique luminal microbial niches. We have examined the coordinated expressions of several molecular targets relevant to the mucosal immune system and identified signature biomarkers of IBD. Qualitative and quantitative changes in the composition of microbiota can be related to unique immuno-phenotypes. This in turn can have more systemic effects that involve energy metabolism. Adiponectin, an adipose tissue derived adipokine, can restore cellular ATP levels and …

Central Neural And Behavioral Correlates Of Voice Secondary To Induced Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis, Ashwini Joshi

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) in voice production is essential to incorporating principles of neuroplasticity into therapeutic practice for voice disorders. Early steps to attaining this goal require the identification of specific neural biomarkers of the changes occurring in the CNS from a voice disorder and its subsequent treatment. In the absence of an adequate animal vocalization model, the larynx has not been acutely and reversibly perturbed to concurrently examine the effect on both peripheral and central processing of the altered input/output.

Using a unique, reversible perturbation approach, it was the purpose of this study to …

Front Matter

Michigan Journal of Public Health

No abstract provided.

Role Of Leptin And Its Receptors In The Pathogenesis Of Thyroid Cancer, Shahabuddin, Azhar Hussain, Abdul K Siraj, Omar S Khan, Prashant P Bavi, Khawla S Al-Kuraya

Centre for Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research

Leptin is a multifunctional adipose-derived cytokines that play a critical role in bodyweight homeostasis and energy balance. Recently, leptin and leptin receptor dysreulation have been reported in variety of malignant cells including thyroid. Leptin modulates growth and proliferation of cancer cells via activation of various growth and survival signaling pathways including JAK/STAT, PI3-kinase/AKT and/or Map kinases. In this review, current understanding of leptin's role in the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer has been described.

Resveratrol Suppresses Constitutive Activation Of Akt Via Generation Of Ros And Induces Apoptosis In Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma Cell Lines, Azhar Hussain, Shahabuddin, Rong Bu, Omar S. Khan, Saeeda O. Ahmed, Maqbool Ahmed, Khawla S. Al-Kuraya

Centre for Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research

Background: We have recently shown that deregulation PI3-kinase/AKT survival pathway plays an important role in pathogenesis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). In an attempt to identify newer therapeutic agents, we investigated the role of Resveratrol (trans-3,4′, 5-trihydroxystilbene), a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound on a panel of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cells in causing inhibition of cell viability and inducing apoptosis.
Methodology/Principal Findings: We investigated the action of Resveratrol on DLBCL cells and found that Resveratrol inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis by inhibition of constitutively activated AKT and its downstream targets via generation of reactive oxygen species …

Mennonite College Of Nursing Annual Report, 2010-2011, Mennonite College Of Nursing

Annual Reports - Mennonite College of Nursing

Annual report of the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University

Postoperative Sensitivity In Class V Composite Restorations: Comparing Soft Start Vs. Constant Curing Modes Of Led., Fahad Umer, Frahan Raza Khan

Department of Surgery Docs

Background: One of the major disadvantages associated with using composites is polymerization shrinkage, stresses are generated at the margins, and if these stresses exceed the bond strength, microleakage occurs at the tooth restoration interface which causes ingress of cariogenic bacteria, post-operative sensitivity, and secondary caries. LED offers several curing modes: constant cure, ramped cure, and soft start cure. It is claimed that soft start polymerization mode produces less polymerization shrinkage and consequently less postoperative sensitivity. Objective:To compare the postoperative sensitivity in Class V composite restorations using soft start and constant LED curing modes. Materials and

Methods:

Using the appropriate …

Immunohistochemical Evaluation Of The Effects Of Nebivolol On Intimal Hyperplasia Following Endothelial Injury, İlker Akar, Ali̇ Rahman, M. Cengi̇z Çolak, Bi̇lal Üstündağ, İbrahi̇m Hani̇fi̇ Özercan, Ayhan Uysal

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Intimal hyperplasia is a vascular remodeling process. It is a clinical problem that forms in the vascular wall as a result of smooth muscle cell migration, proliferation, and extracellular matrix accumulation. In this study we examined the immunohistochemical evaluation of the effects of nebivolol on intimal hyperplasia in damaged endothelial tissue. Materials and methods: The study was conducted using 21 rabbits equally divided into 3 groups: control, solvent, and nebivolol. The rabbits in the control group only underwent balloon injury of the abdominal aorta. The rabbits in the solvent group and nebivolol group underwent balloon injury and were treated with …

Obesity In Children And Adolescents And Its Relationship With Hypertension, Dr Vijayanath Itagi, Ramesh Patil

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

It is difficult to project the prevalence of obesity and overweight among children in India since there is no nationally representative data from India. We determined the time trends in childhood obesity in a representative sample of schoolchildren from Raichur District, Karnataka and investigated the relationship of obesity with blood pressure. Materials and methods: We used a stratified random cluster sampling method to select the children. Anthropometric data were collected from 23,842 students, 5-16 years of age, during 2005-06. Blood pressure and anthropometric data were collected from 19,263 students during 2007-08. Overweight and obesity were defined by body mass index …

Implementing Routine Provider-Initiated Hiv Testing In Public Health Care Facilities In Kenya: A Qualitative Descriptive Study Of Nurses' Experiences, Catrin Evans, Eunice Ndirangu

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Routine 'provider-initiated testing and counselling' (PITC) for HIV has been implemented amidst concern over how consent, confidentiality and counselling (the 3C’s) can be maintained in underresourced health care settings. In Kenya, PITC has been rolled out since 2005, HIV prevalence is 7.1% and over 86% of adults have not been tested. Kenyan nurses are the main cadre implementing PITC but little is known about their experiences of incorporating HIV testing into everyday practice and the challenges faced in maintaining the 3’Cs within their work environments. This study aimed to explore these issues and adopted a qualitative multi-method design using a …

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies 12 New Susceptibility Loci For Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, George Mells, James Floyd, Katherine Morley, Heather Cordell, Christopher Franklin, So-Youn Shin, Michael Heneghan, James Neuberger, Peter Donaldson, Darren Day, Samantha Ducker, Agnes Muriithi, Elizabeth Wheater, Christopher Hammond, Muhammad Dawwas, Uk-Pbc Consortium, David Jones, Leena Peltonen, Graeme Alexander, Richard Sandford, Carl Anderson

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

In addition to the HLA locus, six genetic risk factors for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) have been identified in recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS). To identify additional loci, we carried out a GWAS using 1,840 cases from the UK PBC Consortium and 5,163 UK population controls as part of the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 3 (WTCCC3). We followed up 28 loci in an additional UK cohort of 620 PBC cases and 2,514 population controls. We identified 12 new susceptibility loci (at a genome-wide significance level of P < 5 × 10⁻⁸) and replicated all previously associated loci. We identified three further new loci in a meta-analysis of data from our study and previously published GWAS results. New candidate genes include STAT4, DENND1B, CD80, IL7R, CXCR5, TNFRSF1A, CLEC16A and NFKB1. This study has considerably expanded our knowledge of the genetic architecture of PBC

Synthesis, Biochemical And Molecular Modelling Studies Of Antiproliferative Azetidinones Causing Microtubule Disruption And Mitotic Catastrophe, Niamh O'Boyle, Miriam Carr, Lisa M. Greene, Niall O. Keely, Andrew Js Knox, Thomas Mccabe, David G. Lloyd, Daniela M. Zisterer, Mary J. Meegan

Articles

The structure-activity relationships of antiproliferative β-lactams, focusing on modifications at the 4-position of the β-lactam ring, is described. Synthesis of this series of compounds was achieved utilizing the Staudinger and Reformatsky reactions. The antiproliferative activity was assessed in MCF-7 cells, where the 4-(4-ethoxy)phenyl substituted compound 26 displayed the most potent activity with an IC₅₀ value of 0.22 μM. The mechanism of action was demonstrated to be by inhibition of tubulin. Cell exposure to combretastatin A-4 and 26 led to arrest of MCF-7 cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle and induction of apoptosis. Additionally, mitotic catastrophe for …

Long-Term Care, Emma Kontzamanis, Keville Frederickson

Publications and Research

In chis chapter, the need for long-term care services is explained from the perspective of the explosive growth of the older population as well as the increase in disability and chronic illness in the general population. A definition of long-term care within the contexts of inpatient and community-based services is also explained. In the United States the focus of long-term care is on nursing homes. This will be discussed as well as alternatives co nursing home care which involve integrated services such as case management, social health maintenance organizations, and programs of all inclusive care for elders. Solutions to the …

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Year One Outcome Evaluation Report For The Southern Nevada Health District, Nevada Institute For Children’S Research And Policy, Southern Nevada Health District, Tara Phebus, Samantha Dawn Beecher, Alyson Baker, Taylor Oliver, Denise Tanata Ashby

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

In the fall of 2010 the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) was awarded funding from the Federal Office of Adolescent Health to implement an evidence based teen pregnancy prevention curriculum. They have partnered with the Department of Juvenile Justice Services and the Clark County Department of Family Services to offer this curriculum to the youth in juvenile detention, probation, and life skills classes for youth aging out of the foster care system. The Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP) has been contracted to complete the outcome evaluation for this program and is collecting data to help measure the …

2011-2012 Unlv Mcnair Journal, Cyndy Anang, Sajar Camara, Pamela Cornejo, Carla Antonieta Farcello, Ilse Anahi Garcia, Natiera Magnuson, William L. Mccurdy, Lorena Munoz, Maxym V. Myroshnychenko, Ricardo Rios, Theodore Waldeck, Barbara Wallen, Ana Zuniga, Brenda M. Aguilar, Tiffany Alexandra Alvarez, Daniel N. Erosa, Paige C. Espinosa, Carla Antonieta Farcello, Julienne Jochel Paraiso, Nathaniel Derek Phillipps, Carmen Vallin, Jacent N. Wamala, Ernesto Zamora-Ramos

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars Program

Table of Contents

Biography of Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Statements:

Dr. Neal J. Smatresk, UNLV President

Dr. Juanita P. Fain, Vice President of Student Affairs

Dr. William W. Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Retention and Outreach

Mr. Keith Rogers, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach

McNair Scholars Institute Staff

The Effect Of Spiritualism On The Neuropsychological Function Of Memory, Carla Farcello

McNair Poster Presentations

The amount of physiological-neurological research performed over the past few years has dramatically increased due to our ability to view the structure and function of the brain in living human beings. The use of imaging tools has resulted in huge strides forward in unlocking some of the mysteries of the 3 pound universe-the human brain. One of the more unique neural processes being recently addressed is the affect of belief and spiritualism-the sense of being connected to something larger than oneself-on the human brain. This study hypothesized that better memory will be documented among the experimental group who report being …

Subjective Evaluation Of Data Checking Techniques, Cyndy Anang

McNair Poster Presentations

The aim of this research was to analyze people's subjective opinions about the data checking techniques double entry, visual checking, and read aloud. Previous research has shown that entering data twice is more effective in reducing the data entry errors. Thus, the research aims to hypothesize that participants would perceive the double entry technique as most accurate and reliable. A total of forty-eight undergraduate students answered a set of sixteen items which were used to gather participants' opinions on the three techniques. The results showed that the double entry technique was perceived as significantly more accurate (F (2, 47): 5.734, …

Review Of Interventions To Reduce Risk Factors For Alcohol And Substance Abuse Among Student Athletes, Ilse Garcia

McNair Poster Presentations

Alcohol and drug consumption are a public health concern among young athletes throughout the entire nation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review substance abuse prevention and intervention outcome studies specific to athletes. A list of common keywords associated with outcome studies targeting substance abuse prevention and intervention among student athletes was generated. Interventions were derived from peer-reviewed journals, government websites and newspaper articles. Two interventions were found to successfully decrease excessive drinking and drug use among student athletes. While some researches may argue that involvement in athletes may serve as a "protective factor" for alcohol or substance …

The Release Of Calcium In Bacillus Anthracis Pathogenicity, Natiera Magnuson, Manomita Patra, Maria Elena Reynaga, Ernesto Abel-Santos

McNair Poster Presentations

Bacillus anthracis spores form in response to starvation and can withstand extremes of heat, radiation, and chemical toxins, making B. anthracis spores ideal vehicles for infections.1 The resistance and dormancy of bacterial spores are dependent on a largely dehydrated core.2 The spore core is not only devoid of water, but contains between 0.8 to 1M calcium complexed with 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (dipicolinic acid, DPA). The DPA-calcium complex (CaDPA) helps protect DNA, RNA, and the metabolic enzymes needed for the establishment of a vegetative cell cytoplasm.3 An anthrax infection starts with the germination of B. anthracis spores in a macrophage.4 The germinated …

Children's Emotional State And False Memory In The Drm Paradigm, Pamela Cornejo

McNair Poster Presentations

Children are called to give testimony for highly emotional during court cases. Research indicates that children in a negative emotional state recall with lesser vividness (Berliner et al. 2003) and are more likely to incorporate false information (Levine, Burgess & Laney, 2008). The present study will examine this further by examining the influence of negative and positive emotional states on recall and recognition in child-normed lists within the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. The DRM paradigm is a cognitive task that relies on gist memory for remembrance of the critical lure in semantically associated word lists. It is expected that the eight …