Medical Biotechnology Commons^™

Measurement Of The Oxidation State Of Mitochondrial Cytochrome C From The Neocortex Of The Mammalian Brain, Y. Sakata, M. Abajian, M. O. Ripple, R. Springett

Dartmouth Scholarship

Diffuse optical remission spectra from the mammalian neocortex at visible wavelengths contain spectral features originating from the mitochondria. A new algorithm is presented, based on analytically relating the first differential of the attenuation spectrum to the first differential of the chromophore spectra, that can separate and calculate the oxidation state of cytochrome c as well as the absolute concentration and saturation of hemoglobin. The algorithm is validated in phantoms and then tested on the neocortex of the rat during an anoxic challenge. Implementation of the algorithm will provide detailed information of mitochondrial oxygenation and mitochondrial function in physiological studies of …

Isolation And Characterization Of A Novel Substrate For The Pro-Apoptotic Omi/Htra2 Protease, Nathan Ward

HIM 1990-2015

Omi, also known as HtrA2, is a mammalian pro-apoptotic mitochondrial protein and a member of the HtrA (high temperature requirement A) family of serine proteases. Omi promotes the caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway through cleavage of IAPs (inhibitor of apoptosis proteins); this cleavage inactivates IAPs and facilitates caspase activity. Omi's proteolytic activity is necessary and essential for its pro-apoptotic function. This study is aimed to further understand the role of Omi in the cytoplasm by using the yeast two-hybrid system to identify novel Omi interactors/substrates. A HeLa (cervical carcinoma cell line) cDNA library was screened using Omi as a "bait" protein. One …

Improved Techniques For Acquisition And Analysis Of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging For Detecting Vascular Permeability In The Central Nervous System, Cheukkai Hui

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) is a noninvasive technique for quantitative assessment of the integrity of blood-brain barrier and blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) in the presence of central nervous system pathologies. However, the results of DCE-MRI show substantial variability. The high variability can be caused by a number of factors including inaccurate T1 estimation, insufficient temporal resolution and poor contrast-to-noise ratio. My thesis work is to develop improved methods to reduce the variability of DCE-MRI results. To obtain fast and accurate T1 map, the Look-Locker acquisition technique was implemented with a novel and truly centric k-space segmentation scheme. In …

Cellular Trafficking Of Single And Multistage Vectors, Silvia Ferrati

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Nanomedicine is an innovative field of science which has recently generated many drug delivery platforms with exciting results. The great potential of these strategies rely on the unique characteristics of the devices at the nano-scale in terms of long time circulation in the blood stream, selective accumulation at the lesions sites, increased solubility in aqueous solutions, etc.

Herein we report on a new drug delivery system known as a multistage system which is comprised of non-spherical, mesoporous silicon particles loaded with second stage nanoparticles. The rationally designed particle shape, the possibility to modulate the surface properties and the degree of …

Submicron Bioactive Glass Tubes For Bone Tissue Engineering, Jingwei Xie, Eric Blough, Chi-Hwa Wang

MIIR Faculty Research

Herein we describe a method to fabricate submicron bioactive glass tubes using of sol-gel and co-axial electrospinning techniques for applications in bone tissue engineering. Heavy mineral oil and gel solution were delivered by two independent syringe pumps during the co-axial electrospinning process. Subsequently, submicron bioactive glass tubes were obtained by removal of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and heavy mineral oil via calcination at 600 °C for 5 h. Tubular structure was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging. We examined the bioactivity of submicron bioactive glass tubes and fibers and evaluated their biocompatibility taking electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) …

Manipulating Fate: Medical Innovations, Ethical Implications, Theatrical Illuminations, Karen H. Rothenberg, Lynn W. Bush

Faculty Scholarship

Transformative innovations in medicine and their ethical complexities create frequent confusion and misinterpretation that color the imagination. Placed in historical context, theatre provides a framework to reflect upon how the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging technologies evolve over time and how attempts to control fate through medical science have shaped -- and been shaped by -- personal and professional relationships. The drama of these human interactions is powerful and has the potential to generate fear, create hope, transform identity, and inspire empathy -- a vivid source to observe the complex implications of translating research into clinical practice through …

The Use Of Cerium Oxide And Curcumin Nanoparticles As Therapeutic Agents For The Treatment Of Ventricular Hypertrophy Following Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Madhukar Babu Kolli

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive and fatal disease characterized by inflammation, increased pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricular failure and premature death. Monocrotaline (MCT) has been used to induce PAH in laboratory rats. Previous in vitro and in vivo work suggested that cerium oxide (CeO2)-and curcumin nanoparticles exhibit anti-inflammatory activity; however, it is unknown if these materials are effective for the treatment of PAH induced cardiac hypertrophy. To determine the efficacy of CeO2 nanoparticle treatment in preventing MCT-induced RV hypertrophy, male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into one of three groups (control, MCT, or MCT + CeO2 nanoparticle, n=6/group). …

Quantitative Reagent-Free Detection Of Fibrinogen Levels In Human Blood Plasma Using Raman Spectroscopy, Kelvin Poon, Fiona Lyng, Peter Knief, Orla L. Howe, Aidan Meade, James Curtin, Hugh Byrne, Joseph Vaughan

Articles

Fibrinogen assays are commonly used as part of clinical screening tests to investigate haemorrhagic states, for detection of disseminated intravascular coagulation and as a predictor of a variety of cardiovascular events. The Clauss assay, which measures thrombin clotting time, is the most commonly used method for measuring fibrinogen levels. Nevertheless, inconsistencies are present in inter-manufacturer reagent sources, calibration standards and methodologies. Automated coagulation analysers, which measure changes in optical density during the prothrombin time (PT-Fg), have found use in many hospitals. However, the PT-Fg method is found to give falsely elevated values due to varying choices of calibrants, reagents and …

Feasibility Study Of Trans-Cranial Direct Current Stimulation In Presence Of Brain Tumor, Abhilash Nair

Dissertations and Theses

Trans-cranial Direct Current Stimulation has been shown to modulate cortical neuronal activity. Weak constant current is applied to the scalp using electrodes, leading to sub-threshold changes in neuronal membrane potential. Before actual clinical stimulation is performed, such systems are validated by simulating the stimulation and the resulting current flow patterns using finite element solvers. However, the reliability of such models depends upon the accuracy with which the underlying anatomy has been modeled [1]. In earlier studies it has been shown that the current flow patterns within the brain are altered due to the presence of lesioned brain tissues[2]. Here we …