Diseases Commons^™

Prospective Investigation Of Insomnia Symptoms And Sleep Duration As Risk Factors For Stroke Incidence And All-Cause Mortality In U.S Adult, Wendemi Sawadogo

Theses and Dissertations

Background and Objectives: Stroke is the second leading cause of death in the world. In the United States, on average, someone has a stroke every 40 seconds and someone dies as a result of stroke every 3.5 minutes. Identifying modifiable risk factors of stroke is therefore a public health priority. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which insomnia symptoms and sleep duration contribute to stroke incidence, all-cause mortality, and explore potential causal pathways.

Methods: The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study were …

Characterization And Investigation Of Cold Atmospheric Plasma And Its Effects On Cancer Cell Biology, Thomas M. Ritrosky

Theses and Dissertations

Modern cancer treatment uses radiation therapy in over 50% of patient cases. It is an e↵ective way of treating tumors because the mechanisms of cell killing are well known through the damage that ionizing radiation does to DNA. The amount of radiation can be tracked through measuring the dose of the clinical photon or electron beam used. However, there are limitations in the usage of radiation therapy, for example, a tumor can create hypoxic areas that become radioresistant leading to complete ine↵ectiveness of further radiation treatment. This project looks into the application of cold atmospheric plasma as an adjuvant therapy …

Changes In Physical Activity And Relationships To Submaximal Exercise Capacity And Cardiac Function During Breast Cancer Therapy, Moriah P. Bellissimo

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Breast cancer (BC) survivors are at high risk for heart failure due to curative cancer therapies. In non-cancer populations, physical activity is a first line treatment for preventing cardiovascular disease. This study examined whether more physical activity was associated with better submaximal exercise capacity and cardiac function during the first three months of cancer therapy.

Methods: Participants included 223 women with stage I-III BC before therapy and after three months of undergoing treatment and 126 controls. Leisure time physical activity was reported using the Godin Sheppard leisure time exercise questionnaire. Cardiac function was assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance, and …

Treating Gut Feelings: A Systematic Review Of Psychological Treatments For Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Venus Mirbod

Theses and Dissertations

Psychological comorbidities and psychosocial challenges are prevalent among children and adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). However, a comprehensive review of the availability and effectiveness of psychological treatments for pediatric IBD patients is lacking. This systematic review aimed to determine the availability and efficacy of psychological interventions for children and adolescents with IBD. The systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and performed using two electronic databases, PsycINFO and PubMed, from inception until March 2022. Databases were searched for English-language, controlled trials of psychological interventions for children and adolescents with IBD. Outcomes of interest included: depression, anxiety, health-related …

Nebulizer-Based Systems To Improve Pharmaceutical Aerosol Delivery To The Lungs, Benjamin M. Spence

Theses and Dissertations

Combining vibrating mesh nebulizers with additional new technologies leads to substantial improvements in pharmaceutical aerosol delivery to the lungs across therapeutic administration methods. In this dissertation, streamlined components, aerosol administration synchronization, and/or Excipient Enhanced Growth (EEG) technologies were utilized to develop and test several novel devices and aerosol delivery systems. The first focus of this work was to improve the poor delivery efficiency, e.g., 3.6% of nominal dose (Dugernier et al. 2017), of aerosolized medication administration to adult human subjects concurrent with high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy, a form of continuous-flow non-invasive ventilation (NIV). The developed Low-Volume Mixer-Heater (LVMH) …

The Effects Of Interleukin-1Β On Cardiac Reserve And Exercise Capacity In The Mouse, Habeebah Z. Vohra

Theses and Dissertations

Heart failure (HF) is characterized by dyspnea, fatigue, and exercise intolerance. Clinical evidence points to increased interleukin-1β (IL-1β) activity in patients with HF, with an IL-1 blockade improving the exercise capacity in HF patients. In healthy mice, recombinant-mouse IL-1β (rmIL-1β) induces acute systolic dysfunction, peaking 4 hours after administration. However, the direct effects of rmIL-1β on exercise capacity are unknown. We hypothesized that rmIL-1β diminishes the exercise capacity in the mouse. Adult mice were trained to run on a treadmill and exercise capacity was assessed before, 4 hours, and 96 hours after intraperitoneal administration of rmIL-1β (3 μg/kg) or vehicle …

Process Factors Affecting Reperfusion Time In Patients Presenting With St-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (Stemi), Richard R. Wall

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract PROCESS FACTORS AFFECTING REPERFUSION TIME IN PATIENTS

PRESENTING WITH ST-SEGMENT ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (STEMI) By Richard R. Wall MSRS, RT(R)(CT)(CI), RCIS

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2020.

Dissertation Chair: Jeffrey S. Legg Ph.D. Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Radiation Sciences

An ST-segment myocardial infarction (STEMI) occurs when the blood flow to the myocardium is suddenly and completely blocked causing the myocardium to become ischemic. A STEMI is a life-threatening condition that necessitates emergent medical treatment. Research has shown that longer …

Incidence And Predictor Variables Of Pressure Injuries In Patients Undergoing Ventricular Assist Device And Total Artificial Heart Surgeries: An Eight-Year Retrospective Review, Christopher T. Brindle

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND

Cardiac surgery patients have some of the highest reported incidence and prevalence of pressure injuries (PI). A growing subset of cardiac surgery include patients with end-stage heart failure who undergo ventricular assist device (VAD) or total artificial heart (TAH) surgery. The risk of PI and their natural history of development in this population are unknown and the specific risk factors for PI development remain unexplored.

OBJECTIVES

To perform a systematic review of the literature to identify the incidence and risk factors of PI development in patients undergoing VAD-TAH surgery and thereby inform study design and variables in an eight-year …

Effects Of The Na-Cl Co-Transporter (Ncc) In Western Diet Induced Metabolic And Cardiac Dysfunction, Zachary S. Cutter

Theses and Dissertations

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine known to be involved in maintaining metabolic homeostasis; however, also capable of inducing cardiac dysfunction. Additionally, IL-18, has been shown to bind to a novel receptor, the Na-Cl Co-transporter (NCC). We hypothesized that NCC mediates IL-18 metabolic and cardiac signaling in mice. Using male C57BL/6J mice, we compared the metabolic and cardiac function changes after at least 8 weeks of high-saturated fat high sugar diet (Western Diet) in NCC knockout (NCCKO), IL-18 knockout (IL-18KO), and wild-type mice. We show that NCCKO mice have significantly increased body weight gain from baseline, no difference in fasting …

Understanding The Role Of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase And Its Function As A Driving Force Behind The Er Stress Response In Fibrostenotic Crohn’S Disease-Affected Ileal Smooth Muscle Cells, Prashant Yadav

Theses and Dissertations

Crohn’s disease (CD) affects about 780,000 people in the United States alone, and it is estimated that 6-15 per 100,000 persons will receive a diagnosis of this disease each year. There currently is no cure for Crohn’s disease, and available medical therapies simply serve to alleviate the inflammation. This does not help treat fibrostenosis that Crohn’s disease patients may develop, which can only be treated surgically. Finding alternatives to treat CD requires an understanding of mechanisms at the biochemical level. In this thesis, we attempted to gain a better understanding of certain pathways found to be active in Crohn’s disease-affected …

Type 2 Immune Responses In The Context Of Helminth Infection, Asthma, Dendritic Cells, And Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cell Function, Sheela Ruby Damle

Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 (T_H2) immune responses evolved to respond to helminth parasite infections by the production of T_H2 cytokines, which stimulate anti-helminth immunity. Macrophage migration inhibitor factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine, which is produced by many cell types. We demonstrate that mice deficient in MIF have enhanced clearance of a helminth parasite. MIF deficiency in CD4⁺ T cells was found to be the most important for mediating parasite clearance. We mimicked MIF deficiency by administering an inhibitor of the MIF tautomerase activity, sulforaphane, and this also increased parasite clearance (Section I).

T_H2 immune …

Genetic And Epigenetic Mechanisms Of Complex Reproductive Disorders, Bhavi P. Modi

Theses and Dissertations

Common, complex disorders are polygenic and multifactorial traits representing interactions between environmental, genetic and epigenetic risk factors. More often than not, contributions of these risk factors have been studied individually and this is especially true for complex reproductive traits where application of genomic technologies has been challenging and slow to progress. This thesis explores the potential of genetic and epigenetic components contributing to a better understanding of the biological pathways underlying disease risk in two specific female complex reproductive traits - polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). The PCOS projects focus on characterization of a …

Vitamin C: A Potential Regulator Of Inflammatory Response, Bassem M. Mohammed

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Neutrophils (PMNs) and Macrophages are the first responders recruited consecutively to the site of injury/inflammation. PMNs’ response/fate as well as macrophage reprogramming ultimately determine the course of resolution of inflammation. Physiologic wound healing has a significant inflammatory component. An exaggerated inflammation however is self-defeating leading to delayed healing. Parenteral vitamin C (VitC) attenuated inflammation in murine sepsis models and in patients with sepsis. However information about the mechanisms by which VitC regulates these events is limited.

Methods: Humanized mice lacking VitC synthesis capability (Gulo^-/-) were used. VitC sufficient and deficient mice were challenged with sterile inflammation, or …

Axon Initial Segment Stability In Multiple Sclerosis, Suneel K. Thummala

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system characterized by inflammation and demyelination. In addition to these hallmark features, MS also presents with axonal pathology, which is likely responsible for the signs and symptoms of the disease. Although prominent in MS, axonal pathology is frequently considered a consequence of demyelination and not a primary event. This conclusion is consistent with demyelination inducing the loss of specific axonal domains, known as the nodes of Ranvier that are responsible for the propagation of action potentials along the axon. In contrast, we propose that axonal pathology associated with MS …

Novel Therapeutic Strategies For Pancreatic Cancer, Bridget A. Quinn

Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease that leaves patients with a very poor prognosis and few therapeutic options. Many of the treatment options available are the same that have been used for almost 2 decades. There is a dire need for both novel treatments for this disease as well as novel strategies of treatment. This body of work will introduce and provide evidence in support of a novel combination therapy for pancreatic cancer treatment, a novel strategy of modifying currently used chemotherapeutics for pancreatic cancer therapy, and a novel transgenic preclinical mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Sabutoclax, an antagonist of …

Examining The Effect Of Race On The Relationship Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Metabolic Syndrome In Women, Leia Harper

Theses and Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition affecting approximately 8% of the adult U.S. population with rates twice as high in women than men. Increasingly, evidence has suggested a close relationship between PTSD and increased risk of metabolic diseases. However, the literature on PTSD and metabolic disease risk factors has been limited by the lack of investigation of the potential influence of race on this relation. The current study examined the possible effect of race on the relation between PTSD and metabolic risk. Data for this study were provided from sample of that included 50 African American women and …

Analysis Of The Role Of Astrocyte Elevated Gene-1 In Normal Liver Physiology And In The Onset And Progression Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Chadia L. Robertson

Theses and Dissertations

First identified over a decade ago, Astrocyte Elevated Gene-1 (AEG-1) has been studied extensively due to early reports of its overexpression in various cancer cell lines. Research groups all over the globe including our own have since identified AEG-1 overexpression in cancers of diverse lineages including cancers of the liver, colon, skin, prostate, breast, lung, esophagus, neurons and neuronal glia as compared to matched normal tissue. A comprehensive and convincing body of data currently points to AEG-1 as an essential component, critical to the progression and perhaps onset of cancer. AEG-1 is a potent activator of multiple pro-tumorigenic signal transduction …

Relationship Between Intestinal Parasitosis With The Basic Services, And The Nutritional State Of Children Under The Age Of Five Of Black, Native, And Mestizo Ethnicities In The Rural Area Of The Province Of Imbabura 1998-1999, Carlos Rosero

Theses and Dissertations

The parasitosis in the tropical countries like Ecuador, are found in the different population groups of all ages, sexes, social conditions, ethnic groups, especially in those without hygienic conditions, pertaining to different geographic zones and the prevalence varies in agreement with the ecology, the human factors and the social economic characteristics. The fecal contamination on land and water where an adequate disposition of excretes, the surrounding conditions, the deficient living conditions, the rural life, the absence of bathrooms, the custom to not use shoes and to have contact with the water. The deficiency of hygienic education, contamination of foods and …