Diseases Commons^™

Eye Movement Measures Of Cognitive Control In Children With To Urette Syndrome, Cameron B. Jeter

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Tourette Syndrome begins in childhood and is characterized by uncontrollable repetitive actions like neck craning or hopping and noises such as sniffing or chirping. Worst in early adolescence, these tics wax and wane in severity and occur in bouts unpredictably, often drawing unwanted attention from bystanders. Making matters worse, over half of children with Tourette Syndrome also suffer from comorbid, or concurrent, disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). These disorders introduce anxious thoughts, impulsivity, inattention, and mood variability that further disrupt children with Tourette Syndrome from focusing and performing well at school and home. …

The Relationship Of A Long-Term Exercise Program And Selected Coronary Risk Factors, Maryse Wells

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate body composition and blood pressure as potential risk factors for coronary artery disease after 3 years of participation in a structured exercise program. The sample group was comprised of 21 male participants (66%) and 11 (34%) female participants with a mean age of 55 years who attended the exercise program and completed health and fitness testing annually. Participants did cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training 5 days a week with an average attendance of 70%. After 3 years, BMI, waist circumference, and percent body fat increased significantly (p < .01); blood pressure levels did not change significantly (p > .05). Low control of diet …

Reconstructability Analysis As A Tool For Identifying Gene-Gene Interactions In Studies Of Human Diseases, Stephen Shervais, Patricia L. Kramer, Shawn K. Westaway, Nancy J. Cox, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

There are a number of common human diseases for which the genetic component may include an epistatic interaction of multiple genes. Detecting these interactions with standard statistical tools is difficult because there may be an interaction effect, but minimal or no main effect. Reconstructability analysis (RA) uses Shannon’s information theory to detect relationships between variables in categorical datasets. We applied RA to simulated data for five different models of gene-gene interaction, and find that even with heritability levels as low as 0.008, and with the inclusion of 50 non-associated genes in the dataset, we can identify the interacting gene pairs …

Parity-Induced Decrease In Systemic Growth Hormone Alters Mammary Gland Signaling: A Potential Role In Pregnancy Protection From Breast Cancer, Robert K. Dearth, David A. Delgado, Jill K. Hiney, Thushangi Pathiraja, Steffi Oesterreich, Dan Medina, W. Les Dees, Adrian V. Lee

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Early full-term pregnancy is an effective natural protection against breast cancer in both humans and experimental rodents. The protective effect of an early pregnancy is in part linked to changes in circulating hormones that are involved in both normal breast development and breast cancer. For example, a reduction in circulating growth hormone (GH) has been shown to protect rats from carcinogen-induced mammary tumors. We examined the ability of a full-term pregnancy to alter the endocrine GH/IGF-I axis and how this change affected normal mammary gland function in two commonly used rat models (Sprague-Dawley and Wistar-Furth). Circulating GH and IGF-I were …

Analysis Of Primary Risk Factors For Oral Cancer From Us States With Increasing Rates, Anthony Bunnell, Nathan Pettit, Nicole Reddout, Kanika Sharma, Susan O'Malley, Michelle Chino, Karl Kingsley

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Objectives

To examine the primary risk factor for oral cancer in the US, smoking and tobacco use, among the specific US states that experienced short-term increases in oral cancer incidence and mortality.

Methods

Population-based data on oral cancer morbidity and mortality in the US were obtained from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for analysis of recent trends. Data were also obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to measure current and former trends of tobacco usage. To comprehensive measures of previous state tobacco use …

An Epitope From Acanthamoeba Castellanii That Cross-React With Proteolipid Protein 139-151-Reactive T Cells Induces Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis In Sjl Mice, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, David Steffan, Jay Reddy

Jay Reddy Publications

We report here that an epitope (aa, 83-95) derived from Acanthamoeba castellanii (ACA) induces clinical signs of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in SJL/J mice reminiscent of the disease induced with myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) 139-151. By using IA^s/tetramers, we demonstrate that both ACA 83-95 and PLP 139-151 generate antigen-specific cross-reactive CD4 T cells and the T cells secrete identical patterns of cytokines and induce EAE with a similar severity. These results may provide insights into the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and ACA-induced granulomatous encephalitis.

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 …

Genetic Connections Between Neurological Disorders And Cholesterol Metabolism, Ingemar Bjorkhem, Valerio Leoni, Steve Meaney

Articles

Cholesterol is an essential component of both the peripheral and central nervous systems of mammals. Over the last decade, evidence has accumulated that disturbances in cholesterol metabolism are associated with the development of various neurological conditions. In addition to genetically defined defects in cholesterol synthesis, which will be covered in another review in this Thematic Series, defects in cholesterol metabolism (cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis) and intracellular transport (Niemann Pick Syndrome) lead to neurological disease. A subform of hereditary spastic paresis (type SPG5) and Huntington's disease are neurological diseases with mutations in genes that are of importance for cholesterol metabolism. Neurodegeneration is generally …

Regulation Of Apoptotic Effects Of Erythrocarpine E, A New Cytotoxic Limonoid Extracted From Chisocheton Erythrocarpus., Norliza Shah Jehan Muttiah

Student Works (2010-2019)

The aim of this study is to determine the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of erythrocarpine E (CEB4), a new limonoid extracted from Chisocheton erythrocarpus. MTT assay, Live/Dead® Viability/Cytotoxicity assay, cell cycle analysis, annexin V analysis, PARP cleavage analysis, DNA fragmentation assay, sandwich ELISA assay and Western blot analysis were performed on five CEB4 treated cancer cell lines; HSC4COX2- and HSC2 (oral), CaSki (cervical), HepG2 (liver), MCF7 (breast) and NHBE (normal human bronchial epithelial cell line). CEB4 treated HSC4COX2-, HSC2, CaSki, HepG2 and MCF7 cells demonstrated a cytotoxic effect and inhibited cell proliferation in a dose and time dependent manner. CEB4 …

Balance Training Reduces Falls Risk In Older Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes, Steven Morrison, Sheri R. Colberg, Mita Mariano, Henri K. Parson, Arthur I. Vinik

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE - This study assessed the effects of balance/strength training on falls risk and posture in older individuals with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Sixteen individuals with type 2 diabetes and 21 age-matched control subjects (aged 50-75 years) participated. Postural stability and falls risk was assessed before and after a 6-week exercise program.

RESULTS - Diabetic individuals had significantly higher falls risk score compared with control subjects. The diabetic group also exhibited evidence of mild-to-moderate neuropathy, slower reaction times, and increased postural sway. Following exercise, the diabetic group showed significant improvements in leg strength, faster reaction times, …

Adjacent Slice Prostate Cancer Prediction To Inform Maldi Imaging Biomarker Analysis, Shao-Hui Chuang, Xiaoyan Sun, Lisa Cazares, Julius Nyalwidhe, Dean Troyer, O. John Semmes, Jiang Li, Frederic D. Mckenzie, Nico Karssemeijer (Ed.), Ronald M. Summers (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer among men in US [1]. Traditionally, prostate cancer diagnosis is made by the analysis of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and histopathological images of biopsy samples under microscopes. Proteomic biomarkers can improve upon these methods. MALDI molecular spectra imaging is used to visualize protein/peptide concentrations across biopsy samples to search for biomarker candidates. Unfortunately, traditional processing methods require histopathological examination on one slice of a biopsy sample while the adjacent slice is subjected to the tissue destroying desorption and ionization processes of MALDI. The highest confidence tumor regions gained from the …

Expression And Function Of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 Alpha In Human Melanoma Under Non-Hypoxic Conditions, Caroline N. Mills, Sandeep S. Joshi, Richard M. Niles

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Background

Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) protein is rapidly degraded under normoxic conditions. When oxygen tensions fall HIF-1α protein stabilizes and transactivates genes involved in adaptation to hypoxic conditions. We have examined the normoxic expression of HIF-1α RNA and protein in normal human melanocytes and a series of human melanoma cell lines isolated from radial growth phase (RGP), vertical growth phase (VGP) and metastatic (MET) melanomas.

Results

HIF-1α mRNA and protein was increased in RGP vs melanocytes, VGP vs RGP and MET vs VGP melanoma cell lines. We also detected expression of a HIF-1α mRNA splice variant that lacks part …

Killing Of Treponema Denticola By Mouse Peritoneal Macrophages, P. Gaibani, C. Vocale, S. Ambretti, F. Cavrini, Jacques Izard, L. Miragliotta, M. T. Pellegrino, V. Sambri

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Treponema denticola has been identified as an important cause of periodontal disease and hypothesized to be involved in extra-oral infections. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of T. denticola cell length and motility during mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro uptake. Macrophages, incubated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, produced a similar amount of TNF-α when stimulated with Escherichia coli LPS. The uptake of FlgE- and CfpA-deficient mutants of T. denticola was significantly increased compared with the wild-type strain, due to cell size or lack of motility. Opsonization with specific antibodies considerably improved the treponemes’ uptake. …

Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 2010, Zelpha B. Johnson, D. Wayne Kellogg

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Human Endogenous Retroviruses In Renal Cell Carcinoma, Michele D. Tisdale

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Human endogenous retroviruses make up approximately 8-9% of the human genome. A number of expressed HERVs, those that are actively transcribing, have been associated with various cancers. Suppression mechanisms that control HERV expression often fail or become more permissive in tissues where expression should be restricted. Previous studies have identified HERV expression in breast cancer tissues, whereas normal tissue HERV expression remained suppressed. In addition, studies of DNA hypermethylation have correlated with the ability to contribute to cancer development. Hypermethylation of several tumor suppressor genes occurs frequently in cancers and alterations in promoter regions could contribute to the development of …

Common Regional Pests Of Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

Western Australia is free from many exotic animal and plant pests, diseases and weeds that are present elsewhere in Australia. However, the state does have some unwanted intruders. Of these, many are declared plants or declared animals which, for the sake of convenience, we collectively call declared pests.

Inhibition Of Yeast Hexokinase By The Antimalarial Drug Artemisinin: Probing Mechanism Of Action With A Model Enzyme, Jennifer S. Spence

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A leading infectious cause of death, malaria threatens approximately half of the world's population, and drug-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum have created immense difficulty in chemotherapy of the disease. The artemisinin (ART) class of antimalarials may represent a powerful solution. In addition to their safety, effectiveness, and moderate cost, they are the only drugs in use for which there has been no widespread evidence of clinical resistance. The exact parasiticidal mechanism of ART is highly contested, but evidence suggests that protein alkylation may play a role in cytotoxicity. in vitro essays were performed using yeast hexokinase (HK) to demonstrate a …

Modulation Of Lps-Induced Activation Of Hepatic Map Kinases, Oliver Surriga

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a potent inflammagen that has been found to be primarily responsible for many symptoms caused by gram-negative bacterial infections. The LPS-initiated signal transduction pathways involve several terminal kinases, mainly p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), p38 MAPK and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), ultimately leading to increased expression of genes encoding such inflammatory cytokines as interleukin (IL )-1 �. IL-6 and tumor necrosis factors (TNF)-u. In this study, the effects of age on LPS-induced activation of MAPKs in the liver of rats were examined. Results show that the basal level of phosphorylated p42/44 MAPK was increased in postnatal day …

A Comparison Of Fluoroquinolones Versus Other Antibiotics For Treating Enteric Fever: Meta-Analysis, Durrane Thaver, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Julia Critchley, Asma Azmatullah, Syed Ali Madni, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objectives: To review evidence supporting use of fluoroquinolones as first line agents over other antibiotics for treating typhoid and paratyphoid fever (enteric fever).
Design: Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Data sources: Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group specialised register, CENTRAL (issue 4, 2007), Medline (1966-2007), Embase (1974-2007), LILACS (1982-2007), selected conferences, reference lists, and ongoing trial register (November 2007).
Review methods: Trials comparing fluoroquinolones with chloramphenicol, cephalosporins, or azithromycin in culture-proven enteric fever were included. Two reviewers extracted data and assessed methodological quality. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Trials recruiting over 60% children were analysed separately from trials on …

Prospects For Developing Odour Baits To Control Glossina Fuscipes Spp., The Major Vector Of Human African Trypanosomiasis, Maurice O. Omolo, Ahmed Hassanali, Serge Mpiana, Johan Esterhuizen, Jenny Lindh, Mike J. Lehane, Philippe Solano, Jean Baptiste Rayaisse, Glyn A. Vale, Steve J. Torr, Inaki Tirados

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

We are attempting to develop cost-effective control methods for the important vector of sleeping sickness, Glossina fuscipes spp. Responses of the tsetse flies Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (in Kenya) and G. f. quanzensis (in Democratic Republic of Congo) to natural host odours are reported. Arrangements of electric nets were used to assess the effect of cattle-, human- and pig-odour on (1) the numbers of tsetse attracted to the odour source and (2) the proportion of flies that landed on a black target (1 × 1 m). In addition responses to monitor lizard (Varanus niloticus) were assessed in Kenya. The effects of …

Molecular Epidemiology Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Mrsa), Ilene Bautista

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent cause of a myriad of infections in hospitals, healthcare facilities and community settings. It is often related to skin and soft tissue infection, but it can also cause other diseases varying from food poisoning to endocarditis and toxic shock syndrome. According to a study by Kuehnert et al. (2006) there has been a strong association between Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) carriage and risk factors for subsequent infections. Subsequent infection from S. aureus , including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infection, can be projected by looking at the presence of S. aureus nasal colonization. The purpose of …

Mechanisms Of Regulation Of Proximal Tubule Sodium Transporters In Obesity-Induced Hypertension, Marta A. Ambrozewicz

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Hypertension is one of the common complications of obesity. Using a rat model of diet induced obesity and hypertension we investigated some of the mechanisms that are involved in regulation of blood pressure in obesity. The first aim of this study was to determine the role of proximal tubule transporters on the renal sodium handling in obese hypertensive (OP) and lean normotensive (OR) rats. An acute increase in renal perfusion pressure resulted in a blunted natriuretic response in OP vs. OR rats and indicated that increased sodium reabsorption in the proximal tubule is casual, at least in part, for hypertension …

Immediate Effect Of Heel-Pain Orthosis And An Augmented Low-Dye Taping On Plantar Pressures And Pain In Subjects With Plantar Fasciitis, Tracy Andus

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Research has been done investigating plantar pressures and pain in subjects with pathologies after the application of orthoses and arch taping. To date, however, no study has been conducted investigating plantar pressures and pain in subjects with plantar fasciitis after the application of the augmented low-dye taping (ALD) in comparison to a heel-pain orthosis (HPO). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the ALD in comparison to a HPO on pain, peak plantar pressure (PPP), and mean plantar pressure (MPP) under multiple areas of the foot in subjects with plantar fasciitis while walking and jogging. …

When Old-Order Amish Meet New Order Science: Genetic Maladies And The Amish Dilemma, Kelley Downey

Undergraduate Research Conference

The Old World Amish, an Anabaptist Christian domination in the United States and Canada are know for their plain dress, avoidance of modern technology, and separation from the mainstream society.

A traditional agricultural religious group, the Old World Amish maintains isolation from the rest of the community. Financially well-off, they are homogeneous on education, occupation by gender, age at marriage, religion/ethnicity, and health care.

Although the Amish strongly discourage marriage between close cousins, the Lancaster Amish genealogy is described as mutational - inbreeding from multiple, remote connections rather than close consanguinity (first-cousin marriages).

Amish settlements have been identified with certain …

Preliminary Characterization Of Mitochondrial Atp-Sensitive Potassium Channel (Mitokatp) Activity In Mouse Heart Mitochondria, Venkat Raghav Aachi

Dissertations and Theses

Myocardial ischemia, infarction, heart failure and arrhythmias are the manifestations of coronary artery disease. Reduction of ischemic damage is a major concern of cardiovascular biology research. As per recent studies, the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel (mitoK_ATP) opening is believed to play key role in the physiology of cardioprotection, protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury or apoptosis. However, the structural information of mitoK_ATP is not precisely known. Elucidating the structural integrity and functioning of the mitoK_ATP is therefore a major goal of cardiovascular biology research. The known structure and function of the cell ATP-sensitive potassium channel (cellK_ATP) …

Accumulation Of Rhodopsin In Late Endosomes Triggers Photoreceptor Cell Degeneration, Yashodhan Chinchore, Amitavo Mitra, Patrick J. Dolph, Norbert Perrimon

Dartmouth Scholarship

Progressive retinal degeneration is the underlying feature of many human retinal dystrophies. Previous work using Drosophila as a model system and analysis of specific mutations in human rhodopsin have uncovered a connection between rhodopsin endocytosis and retinal degeneration. In these mutants, rhodopsin and its regulatory protein arrestin form stable complexes, and endocytosis of these complexes causes photoreceptor cell death. In this study we show that the internalized rhodopsin is not degraded in the lysosome but instead accumulates in the late endosomes. Using mutants that are defective in late endosome to lysosome trafficking, we were able to show that rhodopsin accumulates …

Accumulation Of Artemisinin Trioxane Derivatives Within Neutral Lipids Of Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria Parasites Is Endoperoxide-Dependent, Carmony L. Hartwig, Andrew S. Rosenthal, John D'Angelo, Carol E. Griffin, Gary H. Posner, Roland A. Cooper

Collected Faculty Scholarship

The antimalarial trioxanes, exemplified by the naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone artemisinin and its semi-synthetic derivatives, contain an endoperoxide pharmacophore that lends tremendous potency against Plasmodium parasites. Despite decades of research, their mechanism of action remains unresolved. A leading model of anti-plasmodial activity hypothesizes that iron-mediated cleavage of the endoperoxide bridge generates cytotoxic drug metabolites capable of damaging cellular macromolecules. To probe the malarial targets of the endoperoxide drugs, we studied the distribution of fluorescent dansyl trioxane derivatives in living, intraerythrocytic-stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites using microscopic imaging. The fluorescent trioxanes rapidly accumulated in parasitized erythrocytes, localizing within digestive vacuole-associated neutral lipid …

A Watershed Analysis Of Salmon Lake And Mcgrath Pond: Implications For Water Quality And Land Use Management, Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Salmon Lake and McGrath Pond (2009, 1993)

In the summer and fall of 2009, the Colby Environmental Assessment Team (CEAT) studied the water quality of Salmon Lake and McGrath Pond, located in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine. The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water quality were measured and analyzed to evaluate the current health of these lakes. Water quality data collected during the summer and fall of 2009 were compared with data from previous years to study the historic water quality trends. Land use patterns in the Salmon/McGrath watershed were also examined to investigate their impact on the lake water quality. The water quality trends …

Loss Of Ski Expression In Testicular Cancer Leads To An Enhanced Invasive Phenotype Through Both Bmp-Dependent And Bmp-Independent Pathways, Amy N. Nash

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The proto-oncogene SKI is a transcription factor and a co-repressor of the TGFβ superfamily, including TGF

β and BMP. However, additional data suggests that SKI may function as a tumor suppressor in some cell types. The TGFβ superfamily has been implicated in cancer progression and germ cell migration. Testicular cancer afflicts men during their peak reproductive years and is the most common cancer among men of this age group. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for testicular cancer. This treatment can lead to undesirable side effects, including infertility. We have shown that SKI expression is decreased in testicular germ cell …

Prevalence Of Intestinal Parasite Infection In Symptomatic And Asymptomatic Dogs In Southwestern West Virginia: The Potential Impact On Human Health, Tashina Marie Savilla

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Most dog owners are unaware of asymptomatic infection and of the possibility of contracting zoonotic parasites from their dogs. We hypothesized that parasite infection is: associated with one or more symptoms; independent of gender and age; and independent of anthelmintic usage. Stool samples were collected from 231 dogs in Kanawha County, West Virginia, and were examined by simple fecal flotation. Parasitic prevalence was found to be 23% for Ancylostoma caninum, 8% for Trichuris vulpis, 7% for Toxocara canis, 4% for Isospora species, and 32.5% overall. There was no significant relationship between infection and gender, nor between infection and symptom for …