Diseases Commons^™

A Process Improvement Project To Increase Referral And Documentation Rates For Diabetic Retinopathy Screening, Debra Ann Bryant Taylor

DNP Projects

Abstract

Background: Approximately 5.3 million Americans, aged 18 and over, carry a diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). By the year 2050 this number is expected to triple without effective healthcare intervention. Approximately 4.8% of the global blindness is attributable to DR, a silent, progressive, microvascular complication of diabetes. Best practice dictates immediate screening at time of diagnosis of Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and biennial screenings thereafter, yet this need is often unmet.

Purpose: This study is a continuation of a process put into place by Dr. Michelle Campbell in October 2017 at the Norton Community Medical Associates Mount Washington …

Diabetes-Related Distress Screening: A Survey Of Primary Care Providers' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices In Treating Patients With Difficulty Meeting Glycemic Goals., Michele Patrice Paxton

DNP Projects

A patient with diabetes is two to three times more likely to be depressed than the general population. Furthermore, the combination of diabetes and depression is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, research has shown that treatment for depression does not correlate with lower HbA1c levels or a decrease in morbidity and mortality. Recently, a body of evidence has shown that increased HbA1c levels and depression are associated with the emotional burden of managing diabetes. The emotional burden is caused by the constant behavioral and mental demands of managing the disease and the worry and fear of the impending …

ความชุกของเชื้อลิชมาเนีย และทริพพาโนโซมในริ้นฝอยทราย ที่เก็บได้จากแหล่งระบาดของโรคลิชมาเนียในประเทศไทย, พิมพ์พิลาส ศรีสุธน

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ริ้นฝอยทราย จัดเป็นแมลงดูดเลือดที่มีขนาดเล็ก อยู่ในวงศ์ Psychodidae อันดับ Diptera ซึ่งเป็นแมลงที่มีความสำคัญทางการแพทย์ เพราะเป็นพาหะนำโรคลิชมาเนีย ทั้งในมนุษย์และสัตว์ ในประเทศไทยมีรายงานการพบโรคลิชมาเนียและโรคทริพพาโนโซมในมนุษย์ แต่ข้อมูลของแมลงพาหะนำโรค ยังมีอยู่อย่างจำกัด งานวิจัยนี้ จึงได้ทำการศึกษาความชุกของเชื้อลิชมาเนียและเชื้อทริพพาโนโซม และความสัมพันธ์ของแมลงพาหะนำโรค ในพื้นที่ที่เป็นแหล่งระบาดของโรคลิชมาเนีย (จังหวัดสงขลา จังหวัดพัทลุง จังหวัดเชียงราย) และพื้นที่ที่ไม่ใช่แหล่งระบาดของโรคลิชมาเนีย (จังหวัดชุมพร) จำนวนทั้งหมด 500 ตัวอย่าง แบ่งออกเป็นตัวเมีย 276 ตัวอย่าง และตัวผู้ 224 ตัวอย่าง ทำการตรวจหาเชื้อลิชมาเนีย และเชื้อทริพพาโนโซม โดยใช้ตำแหน่งของยีน ITS1 และ SSU rRNA ตามลำดับ และระบุชนิดของริ้นฝอยทรายที่ตรวจพบเชื้อ ด้วยเทคนิคทางอณูชีววิทยาโดยใช้ตำแหน่งของยีน COI และ CytB ผลตรวจหาเชื้อลิชมาเนีย และทริพพาโนโซมในริ้นฝอยทราย พบว่า ริ้นฝอยทรายจากจังหวัดสงขลาจำนวน 180 ตัวอย่าง ตรวจพบเชื้อ L. martiniquensis 2 ตัวอย่าง (1.1%) และพบเชื้อ Trypanosoma sp. 4 ตัวอย่าง (2.8%) ในริ้นฝอยทราย Se. khawi ซึ่งในจำนวนนี้มีการตรวจพบ Co-infection ของเชื้อ L. martiniquensis และ Trypanosoma sp. ในริ้นฝอยทราย Se. khawi 1 ตัวอย่างด้วย ริ้นฝอยทรายจากจังหวัดพัทลุง จำนวน 136 ตัวอย่าง ตรวจพบ Trypanosoma sp. 2 ตัวอย่าง (1.5%) ในริ้นฝอยทราย Se. khawi และ Se. indica ริ้นฝอยทรายจากจังหวัดเชียงราย 61 ตัวอย่าง ตรวจพบเชื้อ Trypanosoma noyesi 1 …

Knockdown Of Heparan Sulfate Via Ndst1 Knockout Does Not Inhibit Mouse Aortic Endothelial Cell Alignment In-Vivo, John Diaz De Leon Iii

Dissertations and Theses

Atherosclerotic plaque localizes in predictable areas such as arches and bifurcations which are characterized by disturbed flow patterns and the resulting damage and dysfunction to the endothelium. Endothelial cells (ECs) under sustained laminar flow align in the direction of flow; however, under disturbed flow conditions, ECs sustain damage to their glycocalyx (GCX) which results in unaligned and rounder cells. An investigation into the role of NDST1 sulfation of heparan sulfate (HS), a key component of many proteoglycans which make up the GCX, was conducted. The descending aortas (DAs) of transgenic mice with conditional knockouts (KOs) of NDST1 in vascular ECs …

Ccl11 As A Biomarker For The In Vivo Diagnosis Of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Robert Weissenfels

CMC Senior Theses

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is the neurodegenerative disease that is ascribed to the long term development of cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and motor deficits as a result of the exposure to high amounts of sub concussive traumatic brain injuries. The disease has gained recent popularity in the media for its prevalence in American football as a response to recent research that has suggested the prominence of the disease in nearly every NFL player that is examined post mortem. This has produced a growing concern for the consequences of head impact and participation in contact sports. Despite media attention, little is currently known …

Perceptions Of Health Professionals In Ghana On The Role Of The Community In Chronic Disease Management, Jesuseme Omoruan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The prevalence of chronic disease has been on the rise in various developing countries. This study is an exploratory investigation of the perceptions of health professionals in Kumasi, Ghana on the role of the community in chronic disease management. Using the Chronic Care Model as a framework, the objective of the study was to examine the extent of community-healthcare system in chronic disease management and to explore the barriers to and facilitators of community involvement in chronic disease management. By exploring the availability of community resources that positively contribute to the management of these patients, the study fills an existing …

The Effects Of An 8-Week Stabilization Exercise Program On Lumbar Multifidus Muscle Thickness And Activation As Measured With Ultrasound Imaging In Patients With Low Back Pain: An Exploratory Study, Christian Larivière, Dany H. Gagnon, Sharon M. Henry, Richard Preuss, Jean-Pierre Dumas

Études primaires

Background

Lumbar stabilization exercise programs (LSEP) produce positive effects on clinical outcomes, but the underlying mechanisms remain relatively unexplored. Psychological and neuromuscular mechanisms can be involved, such as a better activation of the lumbar multifidus, which represents one possibility.

Objectives

To determine the following: (1) the effect of an LSEP on lumbar multifidus muscle thickness and activation, as measured with rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI), in patients with low back pain (LBP); (2) the correlation between RUSI measures and any change in clinical outcomes following the LSEP; and (3) the reliability of RUSI measures in control subjects over 8 weeks.

Design …

Development Of A Functional In Vitro 3d Model Of The Peripheral Nerve, Wesley Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peripheral neuropathies, affect approximately 20 million people in the United States and are often a complication of conditions such as diabetes that can result in amputation of affected areas such as the feet and toes. In vitro methodologies to facilitate the understanding and treatment of these disorders often lack the cellular and functional complexity required to accurately model peripheral neuropathies. In particular, they are often 2-D and functional readouts, such as electrical activity, are limited to cell bodies thereby limiting the understanding of axonopathy which often characterizes these disorders. We have developed a functional 3-D model of peripheral nerves using …

Hypertension Prevalence Trends Among Mexican-Americans: Nhanes 1999-2016, Sandra S. Valencia

All Master's Theses

Hypertension is a grave health issue affecting millions of adults in the United States (US). Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart attack, and heart failure. Current National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2016 data reports that 29% of US adults above the age of 18 have hypertension. The objective of this project was to determine current and past hypertension prevalence trends among Mexican Americans (MAs) and non-Hispanic whites (NH-Whites) using NHANES data from 1999 to 2016, as well as the current American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) blood pressure guidelines of …

Evaluation Of Anthelmintic Properties And Toxicity Of Pure Compounds Isolated From Dalea Spp (Plantae, Fabaceae), Victoria Lh Mcpherson

All Master's Theses

Infecting upwards of a billion people worldwide, hookworm is one of the most prevalent parasitic infections affecting the world today. Those infected experience hookworm disease, characterized by severe anemia, which can lead to malnutrition, low birth weights, and physical and mental impairments. Currently, the benzimidazoles albendazole and mebendazole are used as the primary treatment; however, resistance to these drugs is emerging. Due to this resistance, finding new anthelmintic compounds active against hookworm is a priority. Previously, a pure compound isolated from Dalea ornata was identified as having strong anthelmintic activity when used against the hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum. This project …

Identifying A Novel Role For Fractalkine (Cx3cl1) In Memory Cd8(+) T Cell Accumulation In The Omentum Of Obesity-Associated Cancer Patients, Melissa J. Conroy, Stephen G. Maher, Ashanty M. Ashanty, Suzanne Doyle, Emma K. Foley, John V. Reynolds, Aideen Long, Joanne Lysaght

Articles

The omentum is enriched with pro-inflammatory effector memory CD8+ T cells in patients with the obesity-associated malignancy, esophagogastric adenocarcinoma (EAC) and we have identified the chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha as a key player in their active migration to this inflamed tissue. More recently, others have established that subsets of memory CD8+ T cells can be classified based on their surface expression of CX3CR1; the specific receptor for the inflammatory chemokine fractalkine. CD8+ T cells expressing intermediate levels (CX3CR1INT) are defined as peripheral memory, those expressing the highest levels (CX3CR1HI) are effector memory/terminally differentiated and those lacking CX3CR1 (CX3CR1NEG) are classified …

Evaluation Of Individual And Combined Markers Of Urine Dipstick Parameters And Total Lymphocyte Count As A Substitute For Cd4 Count In Low-Resource Communities In Ghana, Enoch Odame Anto, Christian Obirikorang, Emmanuel Acheampong, Bright Amankwaa, Bright Oppong Afranie, Sampson Donkor, Isaac Hope, Juliana Jommo, Esther Osaah

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

We evaluated the individual and combined levels of urine dipstick and total lymphocyte count (TLC) as surrogate markers for CD4 count in a low-resource community in Ghana. This cross-sectional study recruited 200 HIV-infected patients from the Saint Francis Xavier Hospital, Assin Fosu, Ghana. Complete blood count, CD4 count, and urine dipstick analysis were measured for participants. The threshold values were determined as/

Colorectal Cancer Survival Rates In Ghana: A Retrospective Hospital-Based Study, Francis Agyemang-Yeboah, Joseph Yorke, Christian Obirikorang, Emmanuella Nsenbah Batu, Emmanuel Acheampong, Emmanuel Amankwaa Frimpong, Enoch Odame Anto, Bright Amankwaa

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the commonest cancers associated with diverse prognosis times in different parts of the world. Despite medical interventions, the overall clinical outcomes and survival remains very poor for most patients in developing countries. This study therefore investigated the survival rate of colorectal cancer and its prognostic factors among patients at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

METHODOLOGY: In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 221 patients diagnosed with CRC from 2009 to 2015 at the Surgical and Oncological units of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi, Ghana were employed. The survival graphs were obtained …

Robotic Arm Rehabilitation In Chronic Stroke Patients With Aphasia May Promote Speech And Language Recovery (But Effect Is Not Enhanced By Supplementary Tdcs), Adam Buchwald, Carolyn Falconer, Avrielle Rykman-Peltz, Mar Cortes, Alvaro Pascual-Leone, Gary W. Thickbroom, Hermano Igo Krebs, Felipe Fregni, Linda M. Gerber, Clara Oromendia, Johanna Chang, Bruce T. Volpe, Dylan J. Edwards

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: This study aimed to determine the extent to which robotic arm rehabilitation for chronic stroke may promote recovery of speech and language function in individuals with aphasia.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 17 individuals from a hemiparesis rehabilitation study pairing intensive robot assisted therapy with sham or active tDCS and evaluated their speech (N = 17) and language (N = 9) performance before and after a 12-week (36 session) treatment regimen. Performance changes were evaluated with paired t-tests comparing pre- and post-test measures. There was no speech therapy included in the treatment protocol.

Results: Overall, the individuals …

Spatial Modelling And Wildlife Health Surveillance: A Case Study Of White Nose Syndrome In Ontario, Lauren Yee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Wildlife data is often limited by survey effort, small sample sizes, and spatial biases associated with collection and missing data. These factors can create unique challenges from a surveillance perspective when trying to extract spatial patterns of habitat suitability and disease distributions for conservation and management purposes. This thesis examined data quality from a wildlife health database in the context of spatial analysis of wildlife disease. Spatial analysis of the data to predict habitat suitability of bats and white nose syndrome afflicted bats was examined by using the MaxEnt modelling method. Methods to reduce spatial bias were examined and specific …

Time On Androgen Deprivation Therapy And Adaptations To Exercise: Secondary Analysis From A 12-Month Randomized Controlled Trial In Men With Prostate Cancer, Dennis R. Taaffe, Laurien M. Buffart, Robert U. Newton, Nigel Spry, James Denham, David Joseph, David Lamb, Suzanne K. Chambers, Daniel A. Galvao

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives

To explore if duration of previous exposure to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with prostate cancer (PCa) undertaking a year-long exercise programme moderates the exercise response with regard to body composition and muscle performance, and also to explore the moderator effects of baseline testosterone, time since ADT, and baseline value of the outcome.

Patients and Methods

In a multicentre randomized controlled trial, 100 men who had previously undergone either 6 months (short-term) or 18 months (long-term) of ADT in combination with radiotherapy, as part of the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial, were randomized to 6 months supervised exercise, followed …

Flavonoid-Rich Apple Improves Endothelial Function In Individuals At Risk For Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial, Nicola P. Bondonno, Catherine P. Bondonno, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Michael J. Considine, Ghassan Maghzal, Roland Stocker, Richard J. Woodman, Natalie C. Ward, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Kevin D. Croft

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Scope

The cardioprotective effects of apples are primarily attributed to flavonoids, found predominantly in the skin. This study aimed to determine if acute and/or chronic (4 weeks) ingestion of flavonoid-rich apples improves endothelial function, blood pressure (BP), and arterial stiffness in individuals at risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Methods and results

In this randomized, controlled cross-over trial, acute and 4 week intake of apple with skin (high flavonoid apple, HFA) is compared to intake of apple flesh only (low flavonoid apple, LFA) in 30 participants. The primary outcome is endothelial function assessed using flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, …

Micromelanomas Identified With Time-Lapse Total Body Photography And Dermoscopy, Elizabeth D. Drugge, Elgida R. Volpicelli, Rebecca M. Sarac, Sophie R. Strang, Dirk M. Elston, Rhett J. Drugge

NYMC Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Detection Of Flagellated Protozoa Belonging To The Trypanosomatidae Family In Sand Flies Collected From Songkhla Province, Southern Thailand, Komson Chinwirunsirisup

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Autochthonous leishmaniasis cases in Thailand are increasing dramatically, the disease is caused by two major of Leishmania species; L. orientalis and L. martiniquensis. Leishmaniasis is transmitted to the vertebrate hosts through the bite of the infected female sand fly. Moreover, other trypanosomatid protozoa have also been reported in this insect vector. In 2016, Trypanosoma sp. has been detected in sand fly from Songkhla province, where the leishmaniasis case has been reported. The aims of this study are to investigate the potential vectors of trypanosomatids in this area using morphological and molecular identification based on the Cytb gene. The parasites were …

การตรวจหาเชื้อแบคทีเรียก่อโรคในเหาโคจาก 3 จังหวัดของประเทศไทย, จุฬาลักษณ์ พรมรังษ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

เหาโค (Cattle lice) เป็นแมลงดูดเลือดชนิดหนึ่งซึ่งเป็นสาเหตุหลักของปัญหาสุขภาพสัตว์ทั่วโลก หลายงานวิจัยได้เปิดเผยข้อมูลการตรวจพบเชื้อแบคทีเรียก่อโรคในเหาโคและเหาโคอาจมีศักยภาพที่สามารถทำหน้าที่เป็นพาหะนำโรคต่าง ๆ ที่สามารถติดต่อโดยเหา และการศึกษาชนิดของเหาโคโดยใช้เทคนิคทางอณูชีววิทยาและการตรวจหาเชื้อแบคทีเรียก่อโรคในประเทศไทยยังไม่มีการรายงาน งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อตรวจหาเชื้อแบคทีเรียก่อโรคในเหาโคและจำแนกชนิดของเหาโคที่เก็บจากพื้นที่ 3 จังหวัดของประเทศไทย โดยตัวอย่างเหาโคทั้งหมด 109 ตัวอย่าง จะนำมาสกัดดีเอ็นเอและใช้เทคนิค PCR ศึกษาบนตำแหน่งยีน 18S rRNA ที่ได้ทำการพัฒนาออกแบบขึ้นเพื่อระบุชนิดของเหาโค และตรวจหาเชื้อ Bartonella spp., Acinetobacter spp. และ Rickettsia spp. จากนั้นนำมาวิเคราะห์หาลำดับนิวคลีโอไทด์และสร้างแผนภูมิวิวัฒนาการ จากผลลำดับนิวคลีโอไทด์ของยีน 18S rRNA แสดงให้เห็นว่าชนิดของเหาโคในงานวิจัยนี้แบ่งออกเป็น 2 กลุ่ม คือ Haematopinus quadripertusus และ Haematopinus spp. ที่มีความสัมพันธ์ใกล้ชิดกับ H. tuberculatus และสามารถตรวจพบเชื้อ Bartonella spp. ทั้งยีน gltA และ rpoB ทั้งหมด 25 ตัวอย่างจาก 109 ตัวอย่าง (22.93%) พบทั้งในระยะไข่และตัวเต็มวัย เมื่อทำการวิเคราะห์ลำดับนิวคลีโอไทด์และศึกษาแผนภูมิวิวัฒนาการของยีน gltA และ rpoB พบว่าเชื้อ Bartonella spp. ในงานวิจัยนี้มีความใกล้ชิดกับสายพันธุ์ B. bovis งานวิจัยนี้เป็นการรายงานครั้งแรกของการตรวจพบเชื้อ Bartonella spp. ในเหาโคที่เก็บจากพื้นที่ 3 จังหวัดของประเทศไทย และทำให้ทราบถึงข้อมูลชนิดของเหาโคในประเทศไทยโดยใช้เทคนิคทางอณูชีววิทยา ซึ่งข้อมูลเหล่านี้อาจนำมาใช้เพื่อระบุศักยภาพของเหาโคที่จะทำหน้าที่เป็นพาหะนำโรคและอาจถ่ายทอดเชื้อแบคทีเรียก่อโรคเหล่านี้จากสัตว์มาสู่มนุษย์

Towards Understanding The Role Of Small Mammals In The Transmission Of Lyme Disease In Virginia, Usa, Robert K. Rose, Laura Bitzer, Wayne Hynes, Holly D. Gaff, Robyn Nadolny, Jory Brinkerhoff

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Larvae and nymphs of many species of ticks select small mammals, reptiles, and birds as hosts. Since 2011, we have examined more than 1,000 small mammals of 10 species and collected a small tissue sample as well as all visible ticks; rates of infestation range from 18% in harvest mice to 53% in meadow voles. Identification of immature ticks is challenging and requires molecular or genetic methods beyond classification as being from the genus Ixodes or another genus. Ixodes ticks include Ixodes scapularis, the species that transmits the Lyme disease-causing bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi to humans. Of the approximately 2,300 ticks …

Placental Eicosanoids And Sphingolipids In Preeclampsia, Daniel T. Reep

Theses and Dissertations

Placental dysfunction is implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Chemical signals between the placenta and maternal circulation are a suspect cause of endothelial dysfunction and maternal hypertension. This study examined select lipid mediators of inflammation produced by the placenta. Patients were recruited from Virginia Commonwealth University’s pregnancy clinics and placentas were collected at delivery. Forty-eight-hour explant cultures of villous placental tissue were used to model lipid production. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was used to quantify concentrations of free lipids in the culture media. Bicinchoninic acid assays were performed to quantify protein in each culture for normalization of lipid data. After …

Novel Insights Into The Contribution Of Cellular Senescence To Cancer Therapy: Reversibility, Dormancy And Senolysis., Tareq Saleh

Theses and Dissertations

Cellular senescence a specialized form of growth arrest that contributes to the pathogenesis of several aging-related disorders including cancer. While by definition tumor cells are considered immortalized, they can undergo senescence when exposed to conventional and targeted cancer therapy. Therapy-Induced Senescence (TIS) represents a fundamental response to therapy and impacts its outcomes. However, TIS has been considered a positive therapeutic goal since senescent tumor cells are expected to enter a state of permanent growth abrogation. In this work we examined the hypothesis that a subpopulation of senescent cells can re-acquire proliferative potential after a state of senescent dormancy, indicating that …

Age-Dependent Changes In Oxygen Supply And Demand Of Rat Spinotrapezius Muscle, Sami C. Dodhy

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the aerobic nature of cellular metabolism in mammalian organisms, a continuous supply of oxygen is necessary to maintain normal physiological function. As organisms age, their metabolic rates generally decline and there are accompanying alterations in the structure and function of the microcirculation, as this part of the cardiovascular system is especially important for oxygen exchange. The overall Oxygen Transport System can be considered as being composed of two complementary components: one for Oxygen Demand and one for Oxygen Supply. The purpose of the current work is to describe the age-dependent changes in both oxygen demand and oxygen supply …

Counterregulatory Effects Of Ptx3 On Inflammation And Cellular Aging, Aaron L. Slusher

Theses and Dissertations

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a vital regulator of innate immune function that has been shown to counterregulate pro-inflammatory signaling and protect against the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Less is known about how PTX3 may mitigate against CVD risk by regulating the pro-inflammatory response at the cellular level. Therefore, this dissertation details four manuscripts which aimed to examine the capacity of PTX3 to regulate the innate immune response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from healthy adults. Manuscript 1 examined the capacity of PTX3 to alter the inflammatory milieu following in vitro stimulation of isolated PBMCs with the pro-inflammatory …

Bromodomain And Extraterminal Domain (Bet) Inhibitor Rvx-208 Ameliorates Periodontal Bone Loss, Nicholas J. Clayton

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease affects 47% of Americans over 30 and is a growing global concern. Current treatments for periodontal disease focus on the mechanical elimination of periodontal biofilms. Very few treatments are available that target the rampant, unregulated host immune response that is ultimately responsible for tissue degradation. BET proteins have been shown to play critical roles in inflammatory gene regulation and are therefore potentially ideal therapeutic targets for treating periodontal disease. RVX-208 is a selective BET-inhibitor with a high affinity for Bromodomain 2 (BD2) as compared to BD1 in BET proteins. Our previous studies have shown that RVX-208 inhibits inflammatory …

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 …

Investigating Smoke Exposure And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd) With A Calibrated Agent Based Model (Abm) Of In Vitro Fibroblast Wound Healing., James A. Ratti

Theses and Dissertations

COPD is characterized by tissue inflammation and impaired remodeling that suggests fibroblast maintenance of structural homeostasis is dysregulated. Thus, we performed in vitro wound healing experiments on normal and diseased human lung fibroblasts and developed an ABM of fibroblasts closing a scratched monolayer using NetLogo to evaluate differences due to COPD or cigarette smoke condensate exposure. This ABM consists of a rule-set governing the healing response, accounting for cell migration, proliferation, death, activation and senescence rates; along with the effects of heterogeneous activation, phenotypic changes, serum deprivation and exposure to cigarette smoke condensate or bFGF. Simulations were performed to calibrate …

Nuclear Rupture In Progeria Expressing Cells, Kranthidhar Bathula

Theses and Dissertations

Cells regularly take on various types of force in the body. They have structures that are able to mediate, transfer and respond to the forces. A mutation in force regulating proteins such as lamin in the nucleus or the KASH domain which connects the nucleus to the cytoskeleton of the cell can cause catastrophic events to occur. The aims of this study were to better understand the response of the nucleus when structural proteins are mutated or are not present while under force. Progeria, a rare disease where an additional farnesyl group is attached to lamin was used in this …

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 …