Reproductive and Urinary Physiology Commons^™

Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Unvaccinated High-Risk Pregnant Women In The Bronx, Ny, Usa Is Associated With Decreased Apgar Scores And Placental Villous Infarcts, Sandra E. Reznik, Patricia M. Vuguin, Alexa Cohen, Rasha Khoury, Olivier Loudig, Ridin Balakrishnan, Susan A. Fineberg, Francine Hughes, Malini Harigopal, Maureen J. Charron

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Babies born to severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected mothers are at greater risk for perinatal morbidity and more likely to receive a neurodevelopmental diagnosis in the first year of life. However, the effect of maternal infection on placental function and neonatal outcomes varies depending upon the patient population. We set out to test our hypothesis that maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in our underserved, socioeconomically disadvantaged, mostly unvaccinated, predominantly African American and Latina population in the Bronx, NY would have effects evident at birth. Under IRB approval, 56 SARS-CoV-2-positive patients infected during the “first wave” of the pandemic with alpha …

Effects Of Dietary Phytoestrogens On Spermatogenesis And Male Reproductive Tract In Mice, Trenton A. Dalm

Masters Theses

Increases in infertility over the past 50 years are linked to environmental exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). One type of EDC is phytoestrogens, commonly found in soy-based diets and foods such as cauliflower, tofu, and broccoli. Phytoestrogens may bind estrogen receptors and have positive or negative effects on receptor signaling. The developing male reproductive tract is potentially susceptible to endocrine disruptors leading to changes in adult reproductive function and possibly infertility. We hypothesized that dietary phytoestrogen exposure would have a dose dependent effect with the high diet yielding the lowest sperm count and worst performance compared to the medium …

The Effect Of Sodium Bicarbonate On Acute Kidney Injury Markers During Physical Work In The Heat, Abdulaziz Abdulrahman A. Masoud, Fabiano Amorim, Christine Mermier, Michael Deyhle, Zidong Li

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Sodium bicarbonate supplementation (NaHCO₃) before physical work in the heat may reduce the risk of developing acute kidney injury (AKI). Purpose: To determine the effects of NaHCO₃ supplementation before a prolonged bout of physical work in the heat on AKI markers and kidney function. Method: A randomized, cross-over, double blinded design was conducted on 8 participants (3 females) who consumed NaHCO₃ (0.2 g/kg body weight) or placebo (CON) before prolonged (120 minutes) moderate intensity (~65% of maximal heart rate) physical work in the heat [40℃ and 23% relative humidity (RH)]. Blood and urine samples were collected …

Prenatal Care: Improved Attendance Through Text Messaging, Samareea Saunders

Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner

No abstract provided.

Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage In Pregnancy: National Trends Of Treatment, Predictors, And Outcomes, Kasra Khatibi, Hamidreza Saber, Smit Patel, Lucido Luciano Ponce Mejia, Naoki Kaneko, Viktor Szeder, May Nour, Reza Jahan, Satoshi Tateshima, Geoffrey Colby, Gary Duckwiler, Yalda Afshar

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a rare event associated with significant pregnancy-associated maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. The optimal treatment strategy and clinical outcome of aSAH in pregnancy remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the treatment utilizations and outcomes of aSAH in pregnant people. Methods Using the 2010-2018 National Inpatient Sample, we identified all birth hospitalizations of women between ages of 18 to 45 associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage and aneurysm treatment were included. Multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the effect of pregnancy state, mode of treatment of aneurysms, severity of subarachnoid hemorrhage on mortality and discharge destination …

Diagnosis Of Urinary Tract Infections And Rapid Molecular Characterization Of Antibiotic Resistance, Mohammed Harris

All Dissertations

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infectious clinical entities in both community and hospital settings. They have a broad range of clinical severity yet inflict large epidemiological burden of morbidity and mortality on patients and the healthcare system with billions of dollars in cost of treatment. Understanding what methods are optimal for diagnosing UTIs are critical to mitigate the marked impact and cost of these infections.

Chapter 1 and 2 in this work surveys the broad array of diagnostic modalities for UTIs and highlights their advantages and limitations in the context of the current standard of …

The Ethical Dilemmas Epigenetic Editing In Utero Presents To Christians, Victoria Hendrix

Senior Honors Theses

The development of CRISPR epigenetic editing technology was initially impactful due to its potential for disease treatment. However, despite the potential benefits of epigenetic technology, there exist ethical dilemmas surrounding its use in utero. The review of the ethical dilemmas of epigenetic editing in utero from a Christian perspective showed that research in epigenetic editing is promising, yet fraught with peril. The basic ethical issues of epigenetic editing in utero stem from its inaccuracy, lack of research concerning its effects on offspring, an incomplete understanding of gene interactions, and its connection to eugenics. The ethical concerns particularly relevant to Christians …

Sexual Dimorphism Of Glomerular Capillary Morphology In Rats, Zackarias Coker

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) progresses faster in males than females; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Sex differences in glomerular capillary morphology has been hypothesized to contribute, in part, to the increased susceptibility to hypertension-induced renal injury and CKD progression in males, but this has not been investigated. The goal of the present study was to assess glomerular capillary morphology in male vs. female rats with intact kidneys and after uninephrectomy (UNX). We hypothesized that glomerular capillary radii (R_CAP) and length (L_CAP) would be greater in male rats.

Male (n=4) and female (n=4) with intact …

Co-Occurrence Of Depression, Anxiety, And Perinatal Posttraumatic Stress In Postpartum Persons, Shelby Howard, Caitlin Witt, Karla Martin, Ateshi Bhatt, Emily Venable, Sarah Buzhardt, Andrew G. Chapple, Elizabeth F. Sutton

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: The study aim was to describe the incidence of depression, anxiety, perinatal-post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and their co-occurrences in the early postpartum period in a low-resource OB/GYN clinic serving majority Medicaid-eligible persons. We hypothesized that postpartum persons screening positive for depression will have an increased risk of a positive screen for anxiety and perinatal PTSD. Methods: A retrospective study of postpartum persons receiving care in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was conducted using responses abstracted from the electronic medical record (EMR) of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD7), and Perinatal Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire-II (PPQII). Categorical distributions …

Patient Perspectives On Noninvasive Prenatal Testing Among Black Women In The United States: A Scoping Review, Shameka P. Thomas, Madison A. Keller, Tiara Ranson, Rachele E. Willard

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Advances in reproductive health technologies such as noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) are changing the landscape of prenatal care and maternal health. NIPT, made clinically available in the United States (US) in 2011, is a screening test that utilizes cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to detect for aneuploidies and genetic characteristics in fetal DNA. In September 2020, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended NIPT for all pregnant patients regardless of age or risk factors. We examined peer-reviewed, empirical studies published from January 2011 to February 2022, assessing NIPT studies with patient perspectives in the US and what is known about …

Parental Instincts: The Neurological And Biological Factors Associated With Parenthood, Jared Reeder

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The following project involves a systematic review of the scientific literature on neural and biological changes of mothers and fathers in parenthood. Until very recently, little scientific research was devoted to studying how bearing children affects a man or woman’s long-term biology. Over the last twenty years, studies of neuroplastic changes in new mothers show specific neural mechanisms responsible for altering the behaviors of mothers during and after pregnancy. These changes in neuroplasticity alter behavior in such a way that led to mothers requiring less sleep and being more prone to hearing the cries of their children. In addition to …

Reducing Placental Oxidative Stress In A Rat Model Preeclampsia Using Vegfr2 Nanoparticles, Sophia Ganios

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy, where the placenta lacks sufficient blood flow due to abnormal formation of the vascular endothelial cells. This results in hypertension and increased reactive oxygen species, causing oxidative stress. The VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) helps develop new growth, so by increasing the receptors VEGFR2 by injection of LTP nanoparticles into the uterine wall of RUPP rats, one can see if there would be improvement in the otherwise reduced uterine pressure pregnant rat. This would be confirmed by the 8-isoprostane test, which measures oxidative stress.

Influence Of Maternal Nano-Titanium Dioxide Inhalation Exposure On Cyclooxygenase Metabolites: Maternal Microvascular And Sexually Dimorphic Feto-Placental Outcomes., Julie Anne Griffith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO₂) is an engineered nanomaterial (ENM), which is widely utilized in diverse products like surface coatings, cosmetics, medical devices, and filters. Inhaled nano-TiO₂ has been demonstrated to induce pulmonary inflammation, impair microvascular function, and hinder generational reproductive endpoints. These outcomes indicate why it is important to explore gestation, as it requires timely vascular adaptations to support maternal and fetal health and development. Therefore, the central hypothesis of my dissertation is: maternal nano-TiO₂ inhalation exposure will impact maternal microvascular function and fetoplacental hemodynamics and function in a sexually dimorphic manner.

The first purpose of …