Diseases Commons^™

Content Analysis Of Vitiligo Portrayal On Social Media, Mary Miller

Honors Theses

Given that vitiligo affects a small percentage of the world population, and its affects are not widely known, there is an increasing need to learn of its effects on those with vitiligo, both physical and psychological. Social media has become an influential platform to spread awareness and build confidence in those with vitiligo. This study aims to find how vitiligo is portrayed through social media using content analysis procedures. This is a cross-sectional content analysis that utilized a codebook to analyze Instagram posts. The results were analyzed by interrater reliability and frequency for each coder. The findings of this content …

Polygenic Transcriptome Risk Scores For Copd And Lung Function Improve Cross-Ethnic Portability Of Prediction In The Nhlbi Topmed Program, Xiaowei Hu, Dandi Qiao, Wonji Kim, Matthew Moll, Pallavi P Balte, Leslie A Lange, Traci M Bartz, Rajesh Kumar, Xingnan Li, Bing Yu, Brian E Cade, Cecelia A Laurie, Tamar Sofer, Ingo Ruczinski, Deborah A Nickerson, Donna M Muzny, Ginger A Metcalf, Harshavardhan Doddapaneni, Stacy Gabriel, Namrata Gupta, Shannon Dugan-Perez, L Adrienne Cupples, Laura R Loehr, Deepti Jain, Jerome I Rotter, James G Wilson, Bruce M Psaty, Myriam Fornage, Alanna C Morrison, Ramachandran S Vasan, George Washko, Stephen S Rich, George T O'Connor, Eugene Bleecker, Robert C Kaplan, Ravi Kalhan, Susan Redline, Sina A Gharib, Deborah Meyers, Victor Ortega, Josée Dupuis, Stephanie J London, Tuuli Lappalainen, Elizabeth C Oelsner, Edwin K Silverman, R Graham Barr, Timothy A Thornton, Heather E Wheeler, Topmed Lung Working Group, Michael H Cho, Hae Kyung Im, Ani Manichaikul

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

While polygenic risk scores (PRSs) enable early identification of genetic risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), predictive performance is limited when the discovery and target populations are not well matched. Hypothesizing that the biological mechanisms of disease are shared across ancestry groups, we introduce a PrediXcan-derived polygenic transcriptome risk score (PTRS) to improve cross-ethnic portability of risk prediction. We constructed the PTRS using summary statistics from application of PrediXcan on large-scale GWASs of lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1] and its ratio to forced vital capacity [FEV1/FVC]) in the UK Biobank. We examined prediction performance and …

Fortuitous Diagnosis Of Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return In A Newborn With Hypoglycemia, Joseph Maes, Terence Zach

Child Health Research Institute Pediatric Research Forum

No abstract provided.

Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate, Mikhail Kun, Tatiana Ryzhakova

Publications and Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the planet and killed millions of people. Health care workers and radiology technicians who come into direct contact with COVID-19 patients have indeed been the most affected by the virus. Since the pandemic began, the COVID-19 cases among health care workers have surged and quadrupled. COVID-19 vaccine mandate is the need of the time. Mandates have a history and are in effect for other diseases such as smallpox, measles, or mumps. But since the vaccines have come out for COVID-19, there is a public impetus to condemn these vaccines, based on the false …

Evidence Supporting A Role For The Immune Checkpoint Protein B7-H3 In Nk Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity Against Aml, Anudishi Tyagi, Stanley Ly, Fouad El-Dana, Bin Yuan, Appalaraju Jaggupilli, Sabrina Grimm, Marina Konopleva, Hans-Jörg Bühring, V Lokesh Battula

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We observed that the immune checkpoint protein B7-H3 is overexpressed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with poor treatment outcomes. Inhibition of B7-H3 expression or blocking of its activity using a novel monoclonal antibody (T-1A5) in AML cells significantly enhanced natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity in AML cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, a human-mouse chimera of this antibody (ChT-1A5) induced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) in B7-H3+ primary AML cells, but not in normal hematopoietic cells, suggesting the specify of this antibody for AML cells. Epitope mapping studies identified that both T-1A5 and ChT-1A5 antibodies bind to the FG-loop …

Novel Fold Of Rotavirus Glycan-Binding Domain Predicted By Alphafold2 And Determined By X-Ray Crystallography, Liya Hu, Wilhelm Salmen, Banumathi Sankaran, Yi Lasanajak, David F Smith, Sue E Crawford, Mary K Estes, B V Venkataram Prasad

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The VP8* domain of spike protein VP4 in group A and C rotaviruses, which cause epidemic gastroenteritis in children, exhibits a conserved galectin-like fold for recognizing glycans during cell entry. In group B rotavirus, which causes significant diarrheal outbreaks in adults, the VP8* domain (VP8*B) surprisingly lacks sequence similarity with VP8* of group A or group C rotavirus. Here, by using the recently developed AlphaFold2 for ab initio structure prediction and validating the predicted model by determining a 1.3-Å crystal structure, we show that VP8*B exhibits a novel fold distinct from the galectin fold. This fold with a β-sheet clasping …

A Novel Approach To Triosephosphate Isomerase Deficiency, Kyra Mccarty

Research Days

Background: Triosephosphate isomerase deficiency (TPID) is a glycolytic pathway enzymopathy causing hemolytic anemia and neurologic dysfunction. TPID is caused by mutations in the TPI1 gene. These patients experience severe hemolytic anemia in infancy followed by progressive neurodegeneration. Diagnosis of TPID is made by measuring decreased TPI enzyme activity elevated dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) levels in the blood. The diagnosis is confirmed by molecular genetic testing. Neurological involvement typically manifests between 6 and 24 months of age, causing progressive motor dysfunction. Chronic axonal neuropathy is often present on nerve biopsy, and peripheral neuropathy is evident on electrophysiologic studies. Splenectomy and blood transfusions …

Diagnosis, Management, And Treatment Of Lymphadenitis And Deep Neck Space Infections At A Children’S Hospital, Aaron Shaw

Research Days

Background: Although cervical lymphadenitis and deep neck space abscesses (DNSA) are relatively common pediatric diagnoses, no standardized approach exists for management of these infections.

Objectives/Goal: To assess variability in diagnosis and treatment of cervical lymphadenitis and DNSA in a children’s hospital.

Methods/Design: Charts were obtained using ICD9/10 codes for diagnoses of retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscess, and lymphadenitis between 1/1/10-12/31/20. 1,237 charts were identified. Patients with a retropharyngeal and/or parapharyngeal abscess were defined as DNSA. Charts were excluded if the diagnosis was not a bacterial infection (e.g. Kawasaki disease), if the lymphadenitis was not in the neck, or if caused by …

The Efficacy Of The Covid-19 Vaccine In Mississippi, Ilyse Miriam Levy

Honors Theses

The Efficacy of The COVID-19 Vaccine in Mississippi

(Under the direction of Dr. Xin Dang)

By tracking and analyzing fifty-three weeks of COVID-19 data, this thesis analyzes the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine within the State of Mississippi. Over the course of these fifty-three weeks, I have also been able to calculate the confidence intervals for vaccination efficacy and the risk reduction due to vaccination by using data regarding the correlations between deaths and vaccination status, provided to me by the Mississippi Office of Epidemiology. My analysis demonstrates that the COVID-19 vaccine is effective not only in Mississippi but also …

The Role Of Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Causing Hypertension During Pregnancy As Observed In The Rupp Model Of Preeclampsia, Michael Franks

Honors Theses

Preeclampsia (PE) is a disease characterized by new-onset hypertension in the third trimester of pregnancy, endothelial dysfunction, and placental ischemia. Contributory to these characteristics are circulating factors such as agonistic autoantibodies to the angiotensin I type II receptor (AT1-AA), CD4+ T cells, natural killer cells (NK), and oxidative stress, which I will show to contribute to renal and placental mitochondrial dysfunction during pregnancy. The adoptive transfer of CD4+ T cells from the Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure (RUPP) rat model of PE to a healthy normal pregnant rat has been shown to result in many of these characteristics, including AT1-AA production. …

Characterizing The Roles Of Cannabinoid Receptor 1 & 2 In Zebrafish Behavior, Metabolism, And Seizure-Induced Activity, Kayci Kimmons

Honors Theses

Epileptic disorders like Dravet Syndrome require novel studies to determine the most ideal treatment. New research linking the endocannabinoid system (ECS) to epileptic disorders is arising, but there is still much to be discovered about the function and regulatory impact of the endocannabinoid system and its receptors in epilepsies like Dravet. In this study, knockout models of larval and adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) were used to investigate the roles of cannabinoid receptors 1 & 2 in behavior, brain mitochondrial metabolism, and seizure-induced activity following exposure to THC and CBD. Larval zebrafish which lacked cannabinoid receptor 1 exhibited increased …

Efficacy Of Δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol For Hiv-Related Neuropathic Pain, Kaia Horne

Honors Theses

Despite the availability and success of antiretroviral therapeutics, ~30% of patients living with HIV experience neuropathic pain that is often intractable. The mechanisms are not known, but there is evidence to support a role for the HIV virotoxins, Tat and/or gp120, which can damage or degenerate neurons and peripheral nerves. One mechanism by which Tat and gp120 promote nerve damage involves the stimulation of proinflammatory cytokine production from immune cells which can damage or kill bystander cells. Notably, compounds found in Cannabis exert anti-inflammatory effects and many studies report HIV patients to consume more marijuana than seronegative individuals. When people …

Plant Based Polyphenols Decrease Cell Migration And Inhibit Proliferation Of Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells, Mary Gathoni

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most highly malignant tumors of the digestive tract. Both the incidence and death rate of pancreatic cancer have increased since 2000. The disease has a poor prognosis with a relative 5-year survival rate of 10%. Pancreatic cancer-related mortality can be mainly attributed to lack of early diagnosis, tumor metastasis, lack of effective treatment strategies and drug resistance. There has been a mounting interest on the use of plant-based compounds such as polyphenols in cancer treatment therapies. This is mainly due to their low toxicity and fewer side effects compared to the conventional chemotherapeutic options …

Assessment Of Dental Care In Children With Congenital Heart Disease, Mollie Walton

Research Days

Background: The incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) is significantly higher in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) compared to the general population. Studies have investigated the incidence of IE in adults with CHD to identify the factors that contribute to the development of IE. One such factor is suboptimal oral health. Several studies have shown that children with CHD have higher levels of untreated oral disease as compared to children without CHD.

Objectives/Goal: Identify factors that may affect compliance with routine dental care, including: age, sex, severity of CHD, repair/palliation, and qualification for prophylactic antibiotics.

Methods/Design: A retrospective chart review …

Sigirr Variants Identified In Nec Infants Exaggerate Toll-Like Receptor Mediated Inflammation, Jennie Godwin

Research Days

Background: A key event underlying uncontrolled inflammation in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is pathologic activation of Toll-like receptors (TLR). TLR4 recognizes lipopolysaccharide (LPS), from Gramnegative bacteria, and TLR2 peptidoglycans (PAM3Csyk4, PAM), from Gram-positive bacteria. TLR4 and TLR2 signaling events induce an inflammatory cascade through NF-kB, a cytokine inducing transcription factor. Single-immunoglobulin interleukin-1-related receptor (SIGIRR) is a major negative regulator of TLR-mediated NF-kB activation. Previous work from our lab suggests that loss of function in SIGIRR may predispose to NEC. Our lab has identified four variants in NEC patients predicted to alter function of SIGIRR. We hypothesized that identified SIGIRR variants will …

Covid-19 Newsletter (Vol. 117), Center For Disaster Medicine, New York Medical College

COVID-19 Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Walking Is Worthy: Walking For Hypertension, Ashleigh Y. Peterson

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Elevated blood pressure (BP), or hypertension (HTN), can cause a cascade of detrimental effects to the body. It is associated with increased risk of stroke, angina, myocardial infarction, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, end-stage renal disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysms (Whelton et al., 2018). HTN is also a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the United States’ (U.S.) leading cause of death in men and women (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force [USPSTF], 2020). The PICOT question for this project was: does an eight-week (T) structured walking program utilizing a smartwatch for step counts and …

Iv Sotalol Use In Pediatric And Congenital Heart Patients: A Multicenter Registry Study, Lindsey E Malloy-Walton, Nicholas H Von Bergen, Seshadri Balaji, Peter S Fischbach, Jason M Garnreiter, S Yukiko Asaki, Jeffrey P Moak, Luis A Ochoa, Philip M Chang, Hoang H Nguyen, Akash R Patel, Christa Kirk, Ashley K Sherman, Jennifer N Avari Silva, J Philip Saul

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background There is limited information regarding the clinical use and effectiveness of IV sotalol in pediatric patients and patients with congenital heart disease, including those with severe myocardial dysfunction. A multicenter registry study was designed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and dosing of IV sotalol. Methods and Results A total of 85 patients (age 1 day-36 years) received IV sotalol, of whom 45 (53%) had additional congenital cardiac diagnoses and 4 (5%) were greater than 18 years of age. In 79 patients (93%), IV sotalol was used to treat supraventricular tachycardia and 4 (5%) received it to treat ventricular arrhythmias. …

Biol 335 Pathophysiology: Bracketology: Disease Edition, Meredith A. Rowe Ph.D.

Open Educational Resources

This project was designed for use in BIOL 335 Pathophysiology, an elective course for which Anatomy & Physiology I and II are prerequisites. The project is based on a single-elimination bracket where progression to the next round is decided by vote of the class, but the votes are independent of student grades. As individual students are “eliminated” by the voting process, they are assigned to work with another student who is still “in,” so the groups gradually become larger as the project progresses. There are two graded assignments for each round: one is a presentation, and one is a written …

Safety Measures In The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit: An Organizational Assessment, Tina Yates

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Long-term video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring in the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) is an elective procedure and generally safe. Clinical experts determined the EMU protocols at a level-4 comprehensive epilepsy center were not followed correctly. The project is a retrospective chart audit incorporating Ray’s Bureaucratic Caring theoretical framework with Donabedian’s conceptual model. The project objective is to evaluate if safety measures protocols are implemented appropriately in the EMU and determine whether a need exists for quality improvements.

The project reviewed patients admitted to the EMU from September 2021 through November 2021 who developed a generalized tonic clonic (GTCs) seizure with electrographic epileptiform …

A Pandemic Of Greed And A Disease Of Poverty In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque Of The Red Death", Benjamin Herrick

Master's Theses

The breakers tripped. Again. The breakers, a mandatory halt to trading on the floor of the stock exchange in response to the S&P falling more than 7% from the previous close. This was instituted after the Crash of 1987 to calm the markets before trading is allowed to resume. They are supposed to mitigate a drastic crash. They have only ever triggered once before, in 1997. Not for the tech bubble. Not even in the crash of 2008. All trading stops for fifteen minutes when the Level One breaker trips. If it drops further in the same day, the Level …

Nurse Practitioner-Led Heart Failure Education Program, Ruairi Fox

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing DNP Capstone Projects

Heart failure is a chronic, progressive disease that has a global burden on the healthcare system and on patient’s lives. HF patients who experience a hospital admission are at a greater risk of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days, impacting healthcare spending costs and patient quality of life. Self-care activities by patients, such as monitoring weight and making lifestyle changes, are the hallmark of outpatient care, and is shown throughout the literature to reduce readmissions and impact patient quality of life. Unfortunately, many patients are either unaware of proper self-care management techniques or find them hard to follow. …

The Impact Of Long Term Ovariectomy On Diastolic Function And Fibrosis Following Chronic Sympathetic Stimulation In Mice, Erin Moore

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) accounts for the leading number of deaths worldwide. Prior to menopause, women exhibit lower rates of CVD compared to age-matched men, however, risks for women increase with menopause. Studies show estrogen loss and age exacerbating cardiac β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) signaling and contractile function. We therefore hypothesized that prolonged estrogen deficiency and chronic β-adrenergic stimulation cause decreases in cardiac function and increases in fibrosis in aged female hearts. Female mice underwent either an ovariectomy (OVX) or a control SHAM surgery at 10 weeks old and were infused with Isoproterenol for three days via mini osmotic pumps in …

When Problems Become Solutions: Harnessing The Osteogenic Capacity Of Disease-Causing Stem Cells To Repair Bone Fractures, Mehreen Pasha

University Scholar Projects

While we often perceive disease as negative, there is potential to engineer seemingly negative biological phenomena into therapeutics to treat a variety of human illnesses. Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a genetic disorder involving uncontrolled, widespread, extraskeletal bone growth, or heterotopic ossification (HO). In FOP patients, stem cells called fibro/adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) follow an abnormal, osteogenic pathway. In the present study, we investigate whether we can adapt these Acvr1 mutant FAPs, which are exceptional at producing bone, to repair bone fractures in otherwise normal patients. The primary aims of this study are (1) to devise and optimize a novel method …

Long-Term Effects Of Estrogen Deficiency On Cardiac Systolic Function And Hypertrophy Following Chronic Sympathetic Stimulation, Pamela Avendano

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Pre-menopausal women have a lower incidence and severity of CVD compared to age-matched men. However, at the onset of menopause, CVD increases. A central feature in patients with CVD is excessive chronic sympathetic stimulation (CSS) of β-adrenergic receptors (β-AR’s). Clinical and animal studies show estrogen deficiency and age exacerbate cardiac β-AR signaling and contractile function. This led to the hypothesis that prolonged estrogen deficiency followed by CSS worsens left ventricular cardiac function and hypertrophy in the aged female heart. Female mice underwent bilateral ovariectomy or SHAM surgery at 2.5 months …

Alternative Fixation Of Venous Valves For Bioprosthetic Applications, Makenzie Kapales

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Venous valve failure allows for the retrograde, or backward, flow of blood into the lower extremities, which leads to Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI). CVI infringes upon quality of life through ulceration and can result in death due to Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), or blood clots, causing pulmonary embolism. A successful treatment of CVI restores valve function and prevents retrograde blood flow; however, current bioprosthetic venous valves exhibit low patency and high calcification. To improve upon bioprosthetic venous valves and CVI treatment, the University of Arkansas’s Cardiovascular Biomechanics Lab conducts studies with the purpose of comparing the properties and performance of …

Targeting Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase (Nnos) For Melanoma Treatment, Shirley Tong

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Human cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and the incidence rates have continued to increase over the years. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) produces nitric oxide (NO) has been found to be overexpressed in human melanoma and the expression of nNOS is induced by interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). In our studies, nNOS has been implicated in IFN-γ-stimulated melanoma progression and the inhibition of nNOS using novel inhibitors effectively inhibited IFN-γ-stimulated tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is overexpressed in melanoma and plays an important role in suppressing the immune system ^12-14. Our …

Transmission Risk Of Malaria Via Gas Flares In Africa, Elle Blake

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Gas flaring occurs at oil drilling sites around the world. It is a method to get rid of the extra gas, as well as to release pressure in emergency situations. The pollutants that are contributed to the air through routine gas flaring can be extremely harmful. Chemicals such as sulfur dioxide and methane are burned into the air we breathe (Baker Hughes, 2019). Not only does this have a direct impact on our health, but also on greenhouse gas emissions. The effects on greenhouse gas emissions impact diseases such as Malaria by increasing the temperature of our planet. The purpose …

Investigating Molecular Mechanisms Behind Bacterial Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis (Bco) Pathogenesis In Modern Broilers, Alison Ramser

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO), a leading cause of lameness in broiler chickens, is characterized by infection, inflammation, and bone attrition. There are currently no effective treatments and positive diagnosis is only possible through necropsy evaluations. Lameness is also a rising animal welfare and economic concern, making prevention and detection of BCO all the more critical. These challenges are exacerbated by a lack of mechanistic understanding of BCO’s etiology. The question I asked during my dissertation was how bacteria induce bone attrition in BCO pathology. My research has shown that mitochondrial dysfunction is characteristic of BCO conditions along with autophagy …

Effective Lifestyle Modifications Pro Football Players Utilize To Prevent Future Complications Of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Matthew Nicolas

Nursing | Senior Theses

The National Football League (NFL) is a billion-dollar entertainment industry that values itself on the physical and gritty sport of football. Even though these athletes are revered for their physical prowess and durability, at some point in their professional football careers these players are likely to sustain some variation of head injury—if not multiple. Each of the 22 players on the gridiron must physically wear out their matchup with tackles, stiff arms, bullrushes, rip moves, and any illegal hits the referee may not be able to see. The repeated blows these players sustain over the course of their career often …