Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Rna Sequencing In The Development Of Cancer-Cachexia, Thomas Allen Blackwell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Cancer is a major public health problem in the U.S. and the world. In 2013 there were an estimated 1,660,290 new cases of cancer in the U.S. Cancer-Cachexia (CC) is a common effect of many cancers, and is directly responsible for 20-40% of cancer-related deaths. The mechanisms that control the development of CC are not well understood. Most investigations of CC focus on the post-cachectic state and do not examine the progression of the condition. The purpose of this study was to utilize RNA sequencing to analyze transcriptomic alterations throughout the progression of CC. Methods: Lewis Lung Carcinoma cells …

Instrumental Aspects Of Oxygen Sensing: Quantitation And Recalibration Of A Biofouled Oxygen Sensor, Marlena Patrick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In vivo oxygen sensing is a critical area of research for medical applications, such as ischemic stroke, but this important topic is not fully understood or resolved. In addition, the best method for calibration of in vivo sensors is as yet undetermined. For all implantable devices, biofouling, the adsorption of biological material to the device surface, is another significant problem with no clear or well-defined solution. One method employed is to apply a protective polymer membrane to the sensor surface in order to minimize the adsorption of biological material. The work described here investigates two polymers applied to a gold …

Effect Of Provision Of Home-Based Curative Health Services By Public Sector Health-Care Providers On Neonatal Survival: A Community-Based Cluster-Randomised Trial In Rural Pakistan, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Simon Cousens, Ali Turab, Yaqub Wasan, Shah Mohammed, Shabina Arif, Zaid Ahmad Bhatti, Imran Ahmed, Steve Wall, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background : Although the effectiveness of community mobilisation and promotive care delivered by community health workers in reducing perinatal and neonatal mortality is well established, evidence in support of home-based neonatal resuscitation and infection management is mixed. We assessed the effectiveness of adding training in neonatal bag and mask resuscitation and oral antibiotic therapy for suspected neonatal infections to a basic preventive and promotive interventions package delivered by public sector community-based lady health workers (LHWs) in rural Pakistan.

Methods: We did a cluster-randomised controlled trial in two subdistricts of Naushahro Feroze in rural Sindh, Pakistan, between April 15, 2009, …

Gamma Power In Pakistani Children: Links To Executive Function And Verbal Ability, Amanda R. Tarullo, Jelena Obradovic, Brandon Keehn, Muneera Rasheed, Saima Siyal, Charles A. Nelson, Aisha K. Yousafzai

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Children in low- and middle-income countries are at high risk of cognitive deficits due to environmental deprivation that compromises brain development. Despite the high prevalence of unrealized cognitive potential, very little is known about neural correlates of cognition in this population. We assessed resting EEG power and cognitive ability in 105 highly disadvantaged 48-month-old children in rural Pakistan. An increase in EEG power in gamma frequency bands (21-30Hz and 31-45Hz) was associated with better executive function. For girls, EEG gamma power also related to higher verbal IQ. This study identifies EEG gamma power as a neural marker of cognitive function …

Peptide Inhibitors Targeting The Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Pivotal Anaerobic Respiration Factor Ania, Aleksandra E. Sikora, Robert H. Mills, Jacob V. Weber, Adel Hamza, Bryan W. Passow, Andrew Romaine, Zachary A. Williamson, Robert W. Reed, Ryszard A. Zielke, Konstantin V. Korotkov

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea, which is highly prevalent worldwide and has a major impact on reproductive and neonatal health. The superbug status of N. gonorrhoeae necessitates the development of drugs with different mechanisms of action. Here, we focused on targeting the nitrite reductase AniA, which is a pivotal component of N. gonorrhoeae anaerobic respiration and biofilm formation. Our studies showed that gonococci expressing AniA containing the altered catalytic residues D137A and H280A failed to grow under anaerobic conditions, demonstrating that the nitrite reductase function is essential. To facilitate the pharmacological targeting of AniA, new crystal structures …

Do Eye Movements During Shape Discrimination Reveal An Underlying Geometric Structure?, Bradley R. Sturz, Ty W. Boyer, John F. Magnotti, Kent D. Bodily

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Using a psychophysical approach coupled with eye-tracking measures, we varied length and width of shape stimuli to determine the objective parameters that corresponded to subjective determination of square/rectangle judgments. Participants viewed a two-dimensional shape stimulus and made a two-alternative forced-choice whether it was a square or rectangle. Participants’ gaze was tracked throughout the task to explore directed visual attention to the vertical and horizontal axes of space. Behavioral results provide threshold values for two-dimensional square/rectangle perception, and eye-tracking data indicated that participants directed attention to the major and minor principal axes. Results are consistent with the use of the major …

Body Composition At Birth And Its Relationship With Neonatal Anthropometric Ratios: The Newborn Body Composition Study Of The Intergrowth-21st Project, José Villar, Fabien A. Puglia, Tanis R. Fenton, Leila Cheikh Ismail, Eleonora Staines-Urias, Francesca Giuliani, Eric O. Ohuma, Cesar G. Victora, Peter Sullivan, Fernando C. Barros, Ann Lambert, Aris T. Papageorghiou, R. Ochieng, Yasmin A. Jaffer, Douglas G. Altman, Alison J. Noble, Michael G. Gravett, Manorama Purwar, Ruyan Pang, Ricardo Uauy, Stephen H. Kennedy, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: We aimed to describe newborn body composition and identify which anthropometric ratio (weight/length; BMI; or ponderal index, PI) best predicts fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM).

Methods: Air-displacement plethysmography (PEA POD) was used to estimate FM, FFM, and body fat percentage (BF%). Associations between FFM, FM, and BF% and weight/length, BMI, and PI were evaluated in 1,019 newborns using multivariate regression analysis. Charts for FM, FFM, and BF% were generated using a prescriptive subsample (n = 247). Standards for the best-predicting anthropometric ratio were calculated utilizing the same population used for the INTERGROWTH-21st Newborn Size Standards (n = …

Lessons To Be Learned: How A Comprehensive Neurobiological Framework Of Atypical Reading Development Can Inform Educational Practice, Ola Ozernov-Palchik, Xi Yu, Yingying Wang, Nadine Gaab

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Dyslexia is a heritable reading disorder with an estimated prevalence of 5–17%. A multiple deficit model has been proposed that illustrates dyslexia as an outcome of multiple risks and protective factors interacting at the genetic, neural, cognitive, and environmental levels. Here we review the evidence on each of these levels and discuss possible underlying mechanisms and their reciprocal interactions along a developmental timeline. Current and potential implications of neuroscientific findings for contemporary challenges in the field of dyslexia, as well as for reading development and education in general, are then discussed.

A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial Of N-Acetylcysteine For Cannabis Use Disorder In Adults, Kevin M. Gray, Susan C. Sonne, Erin A. Mcclure, Udi E. Ghitza, Abigail G. Matthews, Aimee L. Mcrae-Clark, Kathleen M. Carroll, Jennifer S. Potter, Katharina Wiest, Larissa J. Mooney, Albert Hasson, Sharon L. Walsh, Michelle R. Lofwall, Shanna Babalonis, Robert W. Lindblad, Steven Sparenborg, Aimee Wahle, Jacqueline S. King, Nathaniel L. Baker, Rachel L. Tomko, Louise F. Haynes, Ryan G. Vandrey, Frances R. Levin

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background—Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is a prevalent and impairing condition, and established psychosocial treatments convey limited efficacy. In light of recent findings supporting the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for CUD in adolescents, the objective of this trial was to evaluate its efficacy in adults.

Methods—In a 12-week double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial, treatment-seeking adults ages 18–50 with CUD (N=302), enrolled across six National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network-affiliated clinical sites, were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to a 12-week course of NAC 1200 mg (n=153) or placebo (n=149) twice daily. All …

Using Neonatal Skin To Study The Developmental Programming Of Aging, Leryn J. Reynolds, Brett J. Dickens, Benjamin B. Green, Carmen J. Marsit, Kevin J. Pearson

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Numerous studies have examined how both negative and positive maternal exposures (environmental contaminants, nutrition, exercise, etc.) impact offspring risk for age-associated diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and others. The purpose of this study was to introduce the foreskin as a novel model to examine developmental programming in human neonates, particularly in regard to adipogenesis and insulin receptor signaling, major contributors to age-associated diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Neonatal foreskin was collected following circumcision and primary dermal fibroblasts were isolated to perform adipocyte differentiation and insulin stimulation experiments. Human neonatal foreskin primary fibroblasts take up lipid when …

Is Sex With Older Male Partners Associated With Higher Sexual Risk Behavior Among Young Black Msm?, Nicholas Chamberlain, Leandro A. Mena, Angelica Geter, Richard A. Crosby

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

Participants at a sexual health clinic completed a survey with questions regarding sexual risk behavior and partner characteristics. Of 585 participants eligible for analysis, 124 reported generally having older male partners. These participants were significantly more likely to be HIV-infected (p < 0.001), have four or more sex partners as a “bottom” (p = 0.04), have concurrent partners (p = 0.01), and have partners suspected of having an sexually transmitted infection (p = 0.05) than participants without older partners. With analysis restricted to HIV− individuals, risk behaviors did not differ significantly between the groups. HIV− individuals with older partners may be at increased risk of HIV infection due …

Effects Of Allergen Sensitization On Response To Therapy In Children With Eosinophilic Esophagitis, Robert D. Pesek, Mallikarjuna Rettiganti, Erin O'Brien, Sarah Beckwith, Caroline Daniel, Chunqiao Luo, Amy M. Scurlock, Peggy Chandler, Rebecca A Levy, Tamara T. Perry, Joshua L. Kennedy, Sheva Chervinskiy, Maryelle Vonlanthen, Helen Casteel, Stephen C. Fiedorek, Troy Gibbons, Stacie M. Jones

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background: In children with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) foods are the most common disease triggers, but environmental allergens are also suspected culprits.

Objective: To determine the effects of environmental allergen sensitization on response to treatment in children with EoE in the southeastern United States.

Methods: Patients 2 to 18 years old who were referred to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders Clinic from January 2012 to January 2016 were enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal cohort study with collection of demographics, clinical symptoms, medical history, allergy sensitization profiles, and response to treatment over time. Comparisons were made between complete responders (peak …

An Initial Application Of A Biopsychosocial Framework To Predict Posttraumatic Stress Following Pediatric Injury, Meghan L. Marsac, Nancy Kassam-Adams, Douglas L. Delahanty, Jeffrey Ciesla, Danielle Weiss, Keith F. Widaman, Lamia P. Barakat

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Objectives—Each year millions of children suffer from unintentional injuries that result in poor emotional and physical health. This study examined selected biopsychosocial factors (i.e., child heart rate, peritrauma appraisals, early coping, trauma history) to elucidate their roles in promoting emotional recovery following injury. The study evaluated specific hypotheses that threat appraisals (global and trauma-specific) and coping would predict subsequent posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), that coping would mediate the association between early and later PTSS, and that heart rate would predict PTSS and appraisals would mediate this association.

Method—Participants were 96 children hospitalized for injury and assessed at 3 …

Spinal Cord Injury Without Radiographic Abnormality (Sciwora) In Adults: A Report Of Two Cases, Adil Aziz Khan, Shafaq Mahmood, Tayyaba Saif, Aleesha Gul

Section of Internal Medicine

Spinal cord injury without any radiographic abnormality (SCIWORA) is rare in adults. We describe here two case reports of adult patients, who presented to us with quadriplegia, following a road traffic accident. Plain radiography and computed tomography (CT) of cervical spine were normal. Hence the patients were diagnosed as cases of adult SCIWORA. However, subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the two patients revealed cervical cord injury in the form of cord contusion and disc protrusion, respectively. Patient with cord contusion was managed medically, whereas the patient with disc lesion was treated with discectomy. Patient treated with discectomy showed marked …

Exploring A Multifactorial, Clinical Model Of Thought Disorder : Application Of A Dimensional, Transdiagnostic Approach., Mara Ann Hart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Bleuler saw thought disorder as the core defining feature of psychotic phenomena, reflective of the “splitting of the psychic functions” that occurred when, in the process of thinking, one’s ideas and feelings disconnect, becoming fragmented and competing functions. Unfortunately, interest in thought disorder as the conceptual core of psychosis was lost with rise of the modern DSM system, paralleling the shift towards a more simplistic, categorical way of defining psychiatric disorders. Aims: This study examined thought disorder from a dimensional perspective, with the aim of disentangling qualitative heterogeneity and diverse sources of influence. Analyses were based on …

Comparing Total Expenditures By Source Of Long-Term Services And Supports., Maresa R. Corder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study compares total expenditures between beneficiaries enrolled in traditional Long-Term Care (LTC) and beneficiaries enrolled in Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) in a Quasi-Experimental Simple Ex Post Facto study utilizing multiple linear regression with inverted propensity score weighting. The results demonstrated, during the two years of the study period, that total expenditures were on average $14,565.03 (with a p-value oflessfor the total two years of the study, for HCBS beneficiaries when compared to their LTC counterparts. There remains today a belief that expenditures of elderly, dual beneficiaries electing to age-in-place for supported self-care expend less than that of …

Ubqln1 : A Multi-Domain Protein With Multiple Functions., Zimple Kurlawala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are 5 Ubiquilin proteins (UBQLN1-4, UBQLN-L), which are evolutionarily conserved and structurally similar. UBQLN proteins have 3 functional domains: N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain (UBL), C-terminal ubiquitin-associated domain (UBA) and STI chaperone-like regions in the middle. Alterations in UBQLN1 gene have been detected in a variety of disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis and lung cancer. UBQLN1 has been largely studied in neurodegenerative disorders in the context of protein quality control. Several studies have hypothesized that the UBA domain of UBQLN1 binds to poly-ubiquitin chains of substrate and shuttles it to the proteasome via its UBL domain for degradation. UBQLN1 …

Attending To Systemic Racism : Advancing Public Health's Approach To Youth Violence Prevention., Billie Faith Castle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how the field of public health addresses the impact of systemic racism on health and how that informs public health’s approach to youth violence prevention. Beginning with an overview of youth violence, it breaks down the concepts of race and racism and how they are addressed within the science. It also reviews concepts that contribute to risk and protective factors of youth violence. The dissertation is written from a Critical Race Theory approach, argues that the social environment contributes to why youth violence is pervasive in certain neighborhoods, and promotes action from a macro-level approach. Seven chapters …

Bdnf-Trkb Signaling Regulates Adult Taste Bud Innervation., Tao Tang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Taste receptor cells transduce stimuli transmitting information to gustatory neurons that carry it to the brain. They turn-over continuously in adulthood, and must be constantly reinnervated, making the maintenance of innervation to taste buds an active process mediated by many factors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Taste bud innervation (40%) is lost when Bdnf is removed during adulthood, but it is unclear why remaining fibers were not lost. We found that some gustatory nerve fibers remained because they lack the TrkB receptor 55% of TrkB-labeled fibers were lost and fibers without TrkB remained following adult Bdnf gene recombination. It is …

Magnetic Field-Induced Intramolecular Cyclization As A Trigger For Nanoparticle-Based Delivery Systems., Sara Katherine Biladeau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are used in a variety of applications, including as agents for magnetic resonance imaging, generation of local hyperthermia, and as platforms for drug delivery. Iron-based MNPs are often coated with a shell, such as silica or gold, to increase biocompatibility for drug delivery applications. Many MNPs used for cancer therapy rely on either an internal trigger, such as a difference in pH, or an external trigger, such as light or an alternating magnetic field (AMF), to cause release of a payload, typically a chemotherapeutic drug. Internal triggers are appealing because drug release can be targeted to a …

Revisiting Neutrophil Responses To Toll-Like Receptor 4 : Influence Of Ligand Structures And Cellular Environments., Shuvasree Sengupta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neutrophils respond to bacterial LPS through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), which activates or potentiates immune defensive functions and prolongs cell survival. Activation of TLR4 signaling in neutrophils is beneficial for effective clearance of LPS-bearing Gram-negative bacteria, but may also drive aberrant inflammation if not stringently regulated. The regulatory processes by which neutrophil functions are calibrated to respond appropriately to different LPS-bearing bacteria are incompletely understood. Described here are investigations that reveal an unexpected sensitivity of TLR4 in neutrophils to small changes in LPS structure typical of various Gram-negative bacteria, including those that are dangerously virulent (Escherichia coli and Salmonella …

Mental Health And Substance Use Disorders And Treatment Receipt Among Pregnant Women In The United States, 2008-2014 : Trend Analysis, Likelihood Of Treatment Receipt, And Ethnic Disparities In Mental Health Treatment., Taghreed Nayel Salameh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this dissertation were to examine trends from 2008 to 2014 in mental health and substance use disorders and treatment receipt, and explore factors associated with treatment receipt in pregnant women aged 18-44 years in the United States. A systematic review showed that illicit drug use disorder increased in pregnant women over the past decade. Despite the increase in treatment admissions for these disorders from 1992 to 2012, the overall treatment admission rate for pregnant women remained relatively stable (4%). In a trend study, compared mental health and substance use disorders and treatment receipt across Matched groups of …

Stretching Adversely Modulates Locomotor Capacity Following Spinal Cord Injury Via Activation Of Nociceptive Afferents., Anastasia V. Keller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is the second leading cause of paralysis in the United States, affecting around 282,000 people with 17,000 new cases each year. Initial and secondary damage to the spinal cord disrupts multiple descending pathways that modulate the function of sympathetic preganglionic neurons and central pattern generating circuitry. Resulting loss of autonomic and locomotor functions, as well as decreased levels of physical activity, lead to a myriad of complications that affect multiple organ systems and significantly reduce both quality of life and life expectancy in individuals with SCI. Spasticity and muscle contractures are two common secondary conditions that …

Cumulative Trauma, Emotion Reactivity And Salivary Cytokine Response Following Acute Stress Among Healthy Women., Yvette Z. Szabo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study furthers understanding of how trauma exposure may be connected to the development and maintenance of poor health by focusing on cytokines, tightly regulated proteins of the immune system. Cytokine responses to acute stress have been associated with the onset of poorer mental health in physically healthy women. The present study examined how two factors recently associated with cytokine reactivity –cumulative trauma and emotion reactivity– are associated with salivary cytokine reactivity among healthy women. Seventy-one women, screened to be physically and mentally healthy, completed a laboratory acute stress paradigm and self-report measures of state emotion and trauma exposure. Participants …

Coal Ash Exposure And Asthma In Children., Jack Anthony Pfeiffer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the association between exposure to coal ash in the home among children aged 6-14 and asthma. Data was collected using personal modular impactors, lift tape samples, toe/finger nail samples, questionnaires, and peak flow meters. Laboratory methods used to analyze the samples included gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) / energy dispersive x-ray (EDX), and proton-induced x-ray emission (PIXE). Statistical methods used to analyze the data included the Chi Square Test of Independence, logistic regression, the Hosmer-Lemeshow Goodness of Fit test, Fisher’s Exact Test, and the Anderson-Darling Normality Test. Sample size was small, making statistical significance in calculated …

Short-Term Outcomes After Hepatic Resection : Perspective From A Developing Country, Saleema Begum, Muhammad Rizwan Khan

Department of Surgery Docs

Abstract Objective: To review the early outcomes of hepatic resection at our hospital. Methods: This study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 2008 to December 2015, and comprised patients who underwent hepatic resection. We analysed the pathology, magnitude of hepatic resection and short-term outcomes in the patients. Mean and standard deviations were used to describe categorical data whereas frequencies and proportions to describe quantitative data. Univariate analysis was done to look at the factors associated with morbidity, mortality and blood loss during surgery. SPSS 19 was used for data analysis. Results: Of the 75 participants, …

Role Of Surgery In Brain Metastases, Altaf Ali Laghari, Syed Ijlal Ahmed, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Department of Surgery Docs

Abstract Brain metastases remain the commonest type of brain tumour, being four times more common than primary brain tumours. Although surgical intervention may be recommended for one of various reasons in the management of these tumours, including but not limited to conformation of diagnosis, relief of mass effect, improvement of neurological status and prolongation of survival, the guidelines for management of brain metastases remain largely subjective and therefore controversial. Herein the authors have attempted to review some of the existing evidence on role of surgery in the management of brain metastases and have presented their selected guidelines for the readers.

“A Doctor Is Less Valuable Than A Working Truck”: A Phenomenological Study Exploring International Immersion Experiences Of Primary Care Physicians Trained In The U.S., Julie M. Shasteen

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This phenomenological study describes the experiences of primary care physicians trained in the United States who participated in an international clinical immersion rotation during medical school or residency. Five central themes emerge relating to their experience: (a) Participants chose the international rotation for developmental purposes. (b) The lifestyle in their destination country was different than in the U.S., and this had an impact on participants. (c) There were positive outcomes for participants and their future practice. (d) Harmful external forces (at the rotation site) shortened patients’ lifespans and had a negative impact on their quality of life. And, (e) participants …

Assessment Of The Campus Food Environment Using Components Of The Healthy Campus Environmental Audit, Candace Sorden

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objective was to assess whether the food environment at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) campuses supports healthy eating behaviors using components of the Healthy Campus Environmental Audit (vending, dining, and convenience store audits). Secondary aims were to compare the UNL food environment to other college campuses and explore whether there are existing health promotion and obesity prevention initiatives, programs, pledges and/or policies at UNL.

Research team members accessed a secure online website to review training materials prepared by Syracuse University. Evaluators did audit practice trials to meet inter-rater reliability score standards (>80%). audits were conducted at designated sites …

Understanding The Experience Of Interprofessional Team Members After Participating In Comprehensive Obstetric Hemorrhage Training, Frances Kelly

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Purpose: The obstetric hemorrhage rate has risen steadily in the U.S. accounting for 11.4% of maternal deaths between 2011 and 2013, and remains a leading cause of maternal morbidity. Improving the quality and safety of care could prevent much of the morbidity and potential mortality associated with obstetric hemorrhages. An interprofessional obstetric team developed, tested, and implemented obstetric hemorrhage and massive transfusion protocols. Multi-modal team training occurred before service-wide implementation of the protocols, including didactic, skills stations, on-line educational modules, and in situ simulation team training. Early quantitative results were promising.

Methods: To augment understanding of the quantitative results and …