Hiv-1 Tat Interactions With Opioids Are Modulated By Progesterone And Estradiol,
2020
University of Mississippi
Hiv-1 Tat Interactions With Opioids Are Modulated By Progesterone And Estradiol, Dejun Jackson
Honors Theses
HIV infection and combined substance abuse are comorbid epidemics. Previous studies show that concurrent opioid drug use may potentiate HIV-1-mediated neurotoxicity partly via interactions with opioids. Preclinical studies suggest that the HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription (Tat), an HIV regulatory protein, can synergize with opioids to exacerbate its already neurotoxic effects. However, its interactions with clinical opioids, such as oxycodone, have yet to be elucidated. Additionally, Tat disrupts a number of systems including the dopaminergic system, which contribute to its capacity to potentiate the rewarding effects of abused drugs. Although the neurotoxic effects of Tat may be inhibited by gonadal steroids …
Impacts Of Embryonic Exposure To Cannabidiol Or ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol On Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Frailty In F0 And F1 Generations,
2020
University of Mississippi
Impacts Of Embryonic Exposure To Cannabidiol Or ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol On Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Frailty In F0 And F1 Generations, Anika Faruque
Honors Theses
Exposure to cannabinoids during critical development periods has increased with epileptic children being commonly prescribed CBD for seizures and pregnant women taking it recreationally. Many studies have been done on the possible benefits and drawbacks of cannabinoid exposure on the human brain, but not much is known about how it can affect the developing brain long-term. To see the potential adverse effects of cannabinoid exposure during critical stages of development and discover potential developmental origins of disease in consuming cannabinoids during embryogenesis, zebrafish embryos (6-96 hours post fertilization) were exposed to varying concentrations of CBD (0.02, 0.1, 0.5 µM), THC …
The Impact Of Age/Rage Signaling On Oxidative Stress Under Diabetic Conditions In Cardiac Fibroblasts,
2020
University of Mississippi
The Impact Of Age/Rage Signaling On Oxidative Stress Under Diabetic Conditions In Cardiac Fibroblasts, Christopher Dorroh
Honors Theses
Diabetes is a major health concern in the United States, with 1.5 million new cases diagnosed each year. Patients who suffer from diabetes have an increased risk of developing heart failure, a form of cardiovascular disease. Heart failure has been shown to result from increased left ventricular stiffness, which in turn is caused by increased remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). This increase in ECM remodeling is a result of AGE/RAGE signaling, which occurs at a heightened level in the cardiac fibroblast cells of diabetics. Studies have shown that diabetics have elevated levels of AGEs (Advanced Glycation End-Products), which bind …
Study Of Pharmaceutical Tablets Using Raman Mapping,
2020
University of Mississippi
Study Of Pharmaceutical Tablets Using Raman Mapping, Kyle Joseph Pauly
Honors Theses
Covalent bonds are the strongest type of bonds holding molecules together. Based on the pattern of bonding of the molecule, the atoms associated with the bond will vibrate at a specific frequency. Utilizing vibrational spectroscopy, such as Raman spectroscopy, these unique vibrational frequencies can be used to detect the presence of analytes over a selected area. Furthermore, the intensities of the vibrational modes can be tracked to comparatively quantify the concentration of analytes at various locations. This is a method of great importance due to its ability to compare pharmaceutical tablets synthesized with different techniques. Here, the presence and concentration …
Design And Synthesis Of Novel Analogs As Potential Antitubercular Agents,
2020
University of Mississippi
Design And Synthesis Of Novel Analogs As Potential Antitubercular Agents, Peggy Mccluggage
Honors Theses
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious, airborne disease which primarily infects the lungs. One-third of the world’s population is currently estimated to be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent for TB [1]. Current treatment for this disease requires at least six months of taking multiple antibiotics with undesirable side effects [2]. Difficulty in complying to this regimen as well as the prevalence of HIV/AIDS has led to antimicrobial resistance seen in Mtb. In order to combat the Multi-Drug Resistant and Extensively-Drug Resistant strains of the disease-causing bacteria, preventative care and novel antibiotics are urgently needed [3]. The purpose for …
Long-Distance Phasing Of A Tentative "Enhancer" Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism With Yp2d6 Star Allele Definitions,
2020
Children's Mercy Hospital
Long-Distance Phasing Of A Tentative "Enhancer" Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism With Yp2d6 Star Allele Definitions, Erin C. Boone, Wendy Y. Wang, R Gaedigk, Mariana Cherner, Anick Bérard, J Steven Leeder, Neil A. Miller, Andrea Gaedigk
Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers
Background: The CYP2D6 gene locus has been extensively studied over decades, yet a portion of variability in CYP2D6 activity cannot be explained by known sequence variations within the gene, copy number variation, or structural rearrangements. It was proposed that rs5758550, located 116 kb downstream of the CYP2D6 gene locus, increases gene expression and thus contributes to variability in CYP2D6 activity. This finding has, however, not been validated. The purpose of the study was to address a major technological barrier, i.e., experimentally linking rs5758550, also referred to as the "enhancer" single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), to CYP2D6 haplotypes >100 kb away. To overcome …
The Influence Of Climate Change On Disease And Public Health,
2020
St. John Fisher University
The Influence Of Climate Change On Disease And Public Health, Natalie Petruzelli
The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research
This paper attempts to analyze the growing influence of climate change on the spread and development of diseases, as well as how this continues to affect public health and medical administrations around the world. The prevalence of airborne, waterborne, and vector-borne diseases have been found to be exacerbated as a result of climate change. In addition to this, the paper addresses the reemergence of eliminated diseases and ancient pathogens due to changing temperatures and weather patterns. Finally, the effect of these different conditions on national and international public health organizations and policies is analyzed, including projections on what can be …
Optimization Of Dna Extraction From Human Milk,
2020
Winthrop University
Optimization Of Dna Extraction From Human Milk, Cassandra Z. Rutherford
Graduate Theses
Background: Techniques are emerging for determining the best and most cost-effective way to test for human milk adulteration. Currently, the literature is focused on the use of qPCR testing, a technique used to isolate and amplify pieces of DNA for analysis. However, no recommendation currently exists on the best DNA extraction kit to use to achieve optimal DNA yield or purity from human milk samples for downstream qPCR use. Thus, the objective of this study is to assess and compare two DNA extraction kits for use with human milk samples for future DNA-based analysis in the testing for bovine milk …
Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances In Consumable Fish & Surface Waters Near Sites Using Aqueous Film-Forming Foams: Potential Risks, Suggested Regulatory Standards And Policy Approaches For Massachusetts,
2020
Clark University
Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances In Consumable Fish & Surface Waters Near Sites Using Aqueous Film-Forming Foams: Potential Risks, Suggested Regulatory Standards And Policy Approaches For Massachusetts, Tachalla Gibeau
Sustainability and Social Justice
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are emerging contaminants of concern with potential for adverse effects on both human and environmental health. Hence, long-chain PFAS compounds used in legacy aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) are being phased out, resulting in the stockpiling of them at various commercial installations. PFAS contaminated runoff from these facilities has the potential to contaminate nearby surface water bodies and the fish inhabiting them. An analytical approach was used to identify surface water bodies in Massachusetts that are habitats for fish susceptible to PFAS contamination and where said fish are also popularly consumed by locals – thereby representing …
Cluster Determinant 44 (Cd44) Receptor And Gout: Mechanistic Role In Pathogenesis And Therapeutic Targets,
2020
Chapman University
Cluster Determinant 44 (Cd44) Receptor And Gout: Mechanistic Role In Pathogenesis And Therapeutic Targets, Emira Bousoik
Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations
Gout is considered one of the most common forms of arthritis. It is characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness, and swelling in the joints. Management of acute gout attacks remains suboptimal, and hospitalizations due to poorly controlled flares have significantly increased over the past two decades. Colchicine is considered one of the first-line treatments for the relief of the symptoms associated with gout attacks. However, the use of colchicine for gout therapy has limitations due to the severe adverse effects, including fatalities. Acute gout is caused by deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in peripheral joints and surrounding …
Levels Of Parp1-Immunoreactivity In The Human Brain In Major Depressive Disorder,
2020
East Tennessee State University
Levels Of Parp1-Immunoreactivity In The Human Brain In Major Depressive Disorder, Aamir Shaikh
Undergraduate Honors Theses
MDD is a severe and debilitating disorder that is associated with a growing global economic burden due to reduced workplace productivity along with increased healthcare resource utilization. Furthermore, depression markedly enhances the risk for suicide, mortality that is especially worrisome given that 30% of depressed individuals have an inadequate response to current antidepressants. This inadequacy of antidepressants necessitates the discovery of a better understanding of the pathobiology of MDD. Most current antidepressants work through monoamine neurotransmitters, and their relative efficacy in depression led to the now dated monoamine-deficiency hypothesis. The limited usefulness of antidepressants has led to a reinvigorated search …
Tobacco Product-Derived Aldehydes: Effects On Circulating Angiogenic Cells & Implications For Cardiovascular Disease.,
2020
University of Louisville
Tobacco Product-Derived Aldehydes: Effects On Circulating Angiogenic Cells & Implications For Cardiovascular Disease., Jordan B. Lynch
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Tobacco smoke is the most significant modifiable risk factor in CVD development and contains numerous toxic compounds, including aldehydes, which have been linked to CVD. Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, and crotonaldehyde have been identified as significant contributors to cigarette-induced health effects, but the mechanism of these effects is not well understood. These aldehydes are also found in aerosols produced by e-cigarettes (e-cigs). The goal of this dissertation was to explore the systemic, hematological, and endothelium-related effects of exposure to tobacco products and constituent aldehydes and to identify potential mechanisms of injury. …
Dual Role Of Antimicrobial Peptide Cathelicidin In Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease.,
2020
University of Louisville
Dual Role Of Antimicrobial Peptide Cathelicidin In Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease., Fengyuan Li
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Patients with alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) have high morbidity and mortality in its severe forms. One of the major features in different forms of ALD is the altered gut microbiota. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a crucial role in maintaining gut microbiota homeostasis. LL-37 (known as CRAMP in mouse) is the sole member of the human cathelicidin family and has piqued great research interest for its dual role in modulating microbiota and the immune response in metabolic diseases. Inflammasome activation is an important component of the liver pathophysiology in ALD and requires two signals for its full activation to induce the …
Hexadecane Petroleum, And Biofuel Utilization In Marine Bacteria Isolated From Ballast Tanks,
2020
University of Texas Permian Basin
Hexadecane Petroleum, And Biofuel Utilization In Marine Bacteria Isolated From Ballast Tanks, Alex Yashchenko
Graduate Theses
This study characterized the growth of bacteria isolated from ballast tank fluids in hexadecane, petroleum, plant, and algae-derived fuels. The study was performed to explore the capacity of ballast tank isolates to survive and grow within fuels that may be stored within ballast tanks. Results of the hexadecane analysis indicated that most isolates had higher viable cell counts in media supplemented with hexadecane. Members of Alteromonas, Pseudoalteromonas, and a single Brevundimonas species had viable cell counts that were one or several orders ofmagnitude greater than that of controls. Results offuel analysis indicated higher viable cell counts in pure JP-5 and …
Volatile Organic Compound Exposure And Cardiometabolic Syndrome Risk In A Nationally Representative Cohort.,
2020
University of Louisville
Volatile Organic Compound Exposure And Cardiometabolic Syndrome Risk In A Nationally Representative Cohort., Stacey Lane Konkle
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
BACKGROUND: The relative importance of environmental exposures such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is one of the paramount public health priorities of our time, yet is presently unstudied. VOCs are ubiquitous in the environment and have been associated with numerous adverse health effects, including a number of cardiovascular and metabolic effects that are components of Cardiometabolic Syndrome (CMS). OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between CMS and individual-level exposures to VOCs, measured as urinary metabolites of VOCs (UM-VOCs), in a nationally representative sample. METHODS: Associations between urinary biomarkers of exposure to 19 parent VOCs and CMS were assessed using the National …
Tobacco-Derived Aldehydes: Platelet Activation, Thrombosis, And The Role Of Trpa1.,
2020
University of Louisville
Tobacco-Derived Aldehydes: Platelet Activation, Thrombosis, And The Role Of Trpa1., Andre Dwayne Richardson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Cigarette smoking is the single largest risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) pathophysiology. Numerous researchers have shown potential associations between aldehydes in tobacco-derived aerosols from mainstream cigarette smoke (MCS) or electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) and their cardiotoxicity by damaging blood vessel endothelium. The severity of exposure to these toxicants can furthermore lead to adverse cardiovascular outcomes such as myocardial infarctions, stroke, coronary and peripheral artery disease, or atherosclerosis due to blood clots, a pro-thrombotic event. However, the mechanisms by which levels of harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) such as aldehydes induce thrombosis are not well-known. Of specific interest, evidence has …
The Role Of Slc7a11 In Controlling Extracellular And Intracellular Redox Environments Of Lung Fibroblasts - Potential Targets For Intervention In Aging And Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.,
2020
University of Louisville
The Role Of Slc7a11 In Controlling Extracellular And Intracellular Redox Environments Of Lung Fibroblasts - Potential Targets For Intervention In Aging And Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis., Yuxuan Zheng
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal lung disease characterized by extracellular matrix deposition by fibroblasts. Aging and oxidative stress increase the susceptibility to IPF. Redox couples, cysteine/cystine (Cys/CySS) and glutathione/glutathione disulfide (GSH/GSSG), and their redox potentials (Eh) quantify oxidative stress. Fibroblasts from old mice maintain more oxidized extracellular Eh(Cys/CySS) than young mice. Microarray shows down-regulation of Slc7a11 potentially mediates this age-related oxidation. Slc7a11 is the key component of system Xc-, an antiporter that imports CySS and exports glutamate. The first aim of this dissertation is to investigate the mechanistic link between Slc7a11 …
The Cardiovascular Effects Of Tobacco Product-Derived Aldehydes: Contribution Of Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin-1.,
2020
University of Louisville
The Cardiovascular Effects Of Tobacco Product-Derived Aldehydes: Contribution Of Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin-1., Lexiao Jin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death in most countries and are significant health and financial burden worldwide. Smoking contributes to more than 480,000 premature deaths annually -- accounting for one of every five deaths in the United States each year. Numerous studies have shown that smoking increases the risk of factors including endothelial dysfunction, thrombosis, and atherosclerosis, which may lead to an incidence of myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, and stroke. Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are a new kind of tobacco product, and some studies show that e-cigarettes also could induce CVD since both e-cigarettes and conventional tobacco …
California Drought Projections Based On Climate Change Models’ Effects On Water Availability,
2020
Chapman University
California Drought Projections Based On Climate Change Models’ Effects On Water Availability, Lauren Lynam
Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters
Future streamflow in California, as predicted by eight climate projections models, and their effects on water availability are discussed in this paper. The unimpaired projected streamflow for eleven California rivers, collected from Cal-Adapt Streamflow are compared with their unimpaired historical flows (1950-2015) using eight climate model projections (2020-2099) developed by Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Routed Streamflow Projections; Warm Dry RCP 4.5, Average RCP 4.5, Cool Wet RCP 4.5, Other RCP 4.5, Warm Dry RCP 8.5, Average RCP 8.5, Cool Wet RCP 8.5, Other RCP 8.5. Projected drought quantities, durations, and intensities are statistically tested against historical values to determine significance …
Phospholipid Remodeling Via Exogenous Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Uptake Modulates Stress Resistance In Vibrio Cholerae,
2020
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Phospholipid Remodeling Via Exogenous Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Uptake Modulates Stress Resistance In Vibrio Cholerae, William Strike
Honors Theses
Antibiotic-resistant pathogens represent an escalating threat to public health worldwide, substantially increasing the burden of healthcare and community-acquired infections. Several factors contribute to the emergence and spread of this threat, including but not limited to improper antibiotic use and prescriptions in health-care settings and the community, increasing global travel and migration from countries that have higher levels of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and a lack of new antibiotics under development. According to the World Health Organization, rising rates of resistance among Gram-negative bacteria (such as Vibrio cholerae) are of particular concern. These bacteria have evolved a number of endogenous membrane remodeling strategies …
