Anatomy Commons^™

Lung Transplant Technology, Lana Tso

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Lung disease is a significant medical problem. Numerous individuals including infants, children, and adults of all ages can all be affected. Because of this, medical research has been heavily invested in advancing technology and finding solutions for what can be the most effective way to perform lung transplants. This literature review will be focusing on what is currently known about the process of lung transplants as well as future directions for research in this area.

Synthesis And Structure-Activity Relationship Of Boronic Acid Bioisosteres Of Combretastatin A-4 As Anticancer Agents, Yali Kong, Michael C. Edler, Ernest Hamel, Asa R. Britton-Jenkins, Omar Gillan, Susan L. Mooberry, David Mu, Milton L. Brown

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

The boronic acid group plays an important role in drug discovery. Following our discovery of a boronic acid analog of combretastatin A-4 (CA-4), a series of analogs featuring a boronic acid group on the C phenyl ring of CA-4 was synthesized and evaluated for cytotoxicity, as well as for their ability to inhibit tubulin polymerization, inhibit the binding of [³H]colchicine to tubulin and cause depolymerization of cellular microtubules. Modifications on the C ring of CA-4, either eliminating the methoxy group or replacing the C phenyl ring with a pyridine ring, resulted in a reduced potency for inhibiting tubulin polymerization, colchicine …

Radiation Induced Skin Fibrosis (Risf): Opportunity For Angiotensin Ii-Dependent Intervention, Patricia F. Boothe, Vidya P. Kumar, Yali Kong, Kan Wang, Howard Levinson, David Mu, Milton L. Brown

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Medical procedures, such as radiation therapy, are a vital element in treating many cancers, significantly contributing to improved survival rates. However, a common long-term complication of such exposure is radiation-induced skin fibrosis (RISF), a complex condition that poses substantial physical and psychological challenges. Notably, about 50% of patients undergoing radiation therapy may achieve long-term remission, resulting in a significant number of survivors managing the aftereffects of their treatment. This article delves into the intricate relationship between RISF, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and angiotensin II (Ang II) signaling. It proposes the underlying mechanisms and examines potential treatments for mitigating skin fibrosis. …

Tim/Tam Receptors: A Potential Biomarker For Predicting Sensitivity To Zika Virus-Induced Oncolysis In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers, Shankari Somasekar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) constitute 80-85% of lung cancers and are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. The most common cause is prolonged smoking. Current treatment options for NSCLC include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and immunotherapy. Although these medications are effective in the short term, patients often face issues of drug resistance and debilitating side effects with prolonged use. Currently, the use of Zika virus (ZIKV) is being researched as a possible alternative treatment for cancer, which minimizes side effects and the risk of drug resistance. TIM/TAM proteins are identified as the putative ZIKV receptors on …

Health-Outcomes Related To Smartphone Use In The College Student Population: A Scoping Review, Gregory Deglomine

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Objective: A scoping review was employed to consolidate what is currently being studied and reported on concerning interactions with smartphone devices and correlated negative health-outcomes, specifically within the college student population. We are specifically concerned with this population due to the unique demands of technology use coupled with free time use of smartphone devices. Information such as study focus, study design, and summarized results are be provided within this compilation of available data. Results: The existing data findings are heavily skewed in favor of a positive correlation between smartphone use and negative health-outcomes. Sampling 17,069 total participants across 41 studies, …

Predicting Radiation-Induced Immune Suppression In Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, Jonathan Colen, Cam Nguyen, Seth W. Liyanage, Eric Aliotta, Joe Chen, Clayton Alonso, Kara Romano, Sean Peach, Timothy Showalter, Paul Read, James Larner, Krishni Wijesooriya

Data Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is known to modulate the immune system and contribute to the generation of anti-tumor T cells and stimulate T cell infiltration into tumors. Radiation-induced immune suppression (RIIS) is a side effect of radiation therapy that can decrease immunological function by killing naive T cells as well as SBRT-induced newly created effector T cells, suppressing the immune response to tumors and increasing susceptibility to infections.

PURPOSE: RIIS varies substantially among patients and it is currently unclear what drives this variability. Models that can accurately predict RIIS in near real time based on treatment plan characteristics …

Wavelet-Based Harmonization Of Local And Global Model Shifts In Federated Learning For Histopathological Images, W. Farzana, A. Temtam, K. M. Iftekharuddin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Federated Learning (FL) is a promising machine learning approach for development of data-driven global model using collaborative local models across multiple local institutions. However, the heterogeneity of medical imaging data is one of the challenges within FL. This heterogeneity is caused by the variation in imaging scanner protocols across institutions, which may result in weight shift among local models leading to deterioration in predictive accuracy of global model. The prevailing approaches involve applying different FL averaging techniques to enhance the performance of the global model, ignoring the distinct imaging features of the local domain. In this work, we address both …

Assessment Of Forensic And Clinical Criteria Of Orbital Blowout Fractures For Use In Bioarchaeological Analysis, Dylan E. Ornot

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Orbital blowout fractures are a particular facial fracture occurring within the inner eye orbits of the face caused by blunt force trauma to the eyeball or the lower orbital rim. This fracture is common in modern clinical contexts due to physical assaults, but examining this fracture in skeletal material can also provide insights into the patterns of interpersonal violence within the fields of bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology. Issues with analyzing this fracture in skeletal material arise due to the clinical assessment practices of blowout fractures, where medical practitioners are highly focused on the soft tissue presentations of the fracture in …

Image-Based Multiplex Immune Profiling Of Cancer Tissues: Translational Implications. A Report Of The International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group On Breast Cancer., Shahin Sayed, Chowdhury Arif Jahangir, David Page, Glenn Broeckx, Claudia Gonzalez, Caoimbhe Burke, Clodagh Murphy, Jorge Reis-Filho, Amy Ly, Paul Harms

Pathology, East Africa

Recent advances in thefield of immuno-oncology have brought transformative changes in the management ofcancer patients. The immune profile of tumours has been found to have key value in predicting disease prognosis andtreatment response in various cancers. Multiplex immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence have emerged aspotent tools for the simultaneous detection of multiple protein biomarkers in a single tissue section, therebyexpanding opportunities for molecular and immune profiling while preserving tissue samples. By establishing thephenotype of individual tumour cells when distributed within a mixed cell population, the identification of clinicallyrelevant biomarkers with high-throughput multiplex immunophenotyping of tumour samples has great potential toguide appropriate treatment …

Listeria Adhesion Protein Orchestrates Caveolae-Mediated Apical Junctional Remodeling Of Epithelial Barrier For Listeria Monocytogenes Translocation, Rishi Drolia, Donald B. Bryant, Shivendra Tenguria, Zuri A. Jules-Culver, Jessie Thind, Breanna Amelunke, Donqi Liu, Nicholas L. F. Gallina, Krishna K. Mishra, Manalee Samaddar, Manoj R. Sawale, Dharmendra K. Mishra, Abigail D. Cox, Arun K. Bhunia

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The cellular junctional architecture remodeling by Listeria adhesion protein-heat shock protein 60 (LAP-Hsp60) interaction for Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) passage through the epithelial barrier is incompletely understood. Here, using the gerbil model, permissive to internalin (Inl) A/B-mediated pathways like in humans, we demonstrate that Lm crosses the intestinal villi at 48 h post-infection. In contrast, the single isogenic (lap− or ΔinlA) or double (lap−ΔinlA) mutant strains show significant defects. LAP promotes Lm translocation via endocytosis of cell-cell junctional complex in enterocytes that do not display luminal E-cadherin. In comparison, InlA facilitates …

The Impact Of Lung Cancer Screening Education On Knowledge And Screening Rates In A Kentucky Cancer Survivorship Clinic, Alexandra Isler

DNP Projects

Background: Lung cancer is a significant problem in Kentucky, which ranks fourth in the nation in adults who currently smoke. Early detection, through lung cancer screening, can prevent untimely deaths. Several barriers to screening exist including lack of knowledge and awareness among patients regarding lung cancer screening. By increasing knowledge, at risk patients can take the necessary steps to decrease incidence of late stage diagnoses.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate patients’ knowledge of lung cancer screening and referral and screening rates before and after one-on-one patient education.

Methods: This was a quality improvement project that used …

The Development And Evaluation Of A Method For Complete Collagenase I Digestion Of Bos Taurus Bone Samples, Reilly Price

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Current methods for processing aged forensic bone samples for DNA analysis involve pulverization and organic extraction, which further destroys already degraded DNA and uses large amounts of limited samples. Additionally, the success rates for this type of analysis vary widely as homogenization incorporates PCR inhibitors into the sample. Little research has explored how pulverization results in DNA damage in profiles obtained from skeletal remains. This study proposes an enzymatic digestion method to separate osteocytes from PCR inhibitors in the extracellular bone matrix to improve the quality and quantity of DNA isolated from aged bone samples. The technique described here used …

Lysophospholipids Are Associated With Outcomes In Hospitalized Patients With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Aaron M Gusdon, Jude Pj Savarraj, John B Redell, Atzhiry Paz, Sarah Hinds, Angela Burkett, Glenda Torres, Xuefang Ren, Neeraj Badjatia, Georgene W Hergenroeder, Anthony N Moore, H Alex Choi, Pramod K Dash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) accounts for 70-90% of all TBI cases. Lipid metabolites have important roles in plasma membrane biogenesis, function, and cell signaling. As TBI can compromise plasma membrane integrity and alter brain cell function, we sought to identify circulating phospholipid alterations after mTBI, and determine if these changes were associated with clinical outcomes. Patients with mTBI (Glasgow Coma Score [GCS] ≥13 and loss of consciousness <30 >min) were recruited. A total of 84 mTBI subjects were enrolled after admission to a level I trauma center, with the majority having evidence of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage on brain computed tomography …

Electrophysiological And Clinical Fundamentals Of Qtc Prolongation Induced By Antipsychotic Medications, Zaid Naseer, Minaal Khan, Najeeb Manalai, Allison Foroobar, Patricia Harrison, Charles Scercy, Beth Yanoff, Partam Manalai

Department Surgery Faculty Publications

Patients with psychiatric disorders undergoing antipsychotic treatment are at an elevated risk for adverse cardiovascular events, including arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. While the precise mechanisms linking cardiovascular diseases and psychiatric conditions remain unclear, QTc prolongation is suspected to be a contributing factor. The human ether-à-go-go-related gene (hERG, or KCNH2), which affects potassium channels, is implicated in the cardiotoxicity of various medications, including antipsychotics. This gene plays a critical role in determining whether a drug will be approved for market use. This paper elucidates the electrophysiological basis of QTc prolongation and reviews the evidence concerning which antipsychotics may exacerbate QTc …

Reliability And Minimal Detectable Change Of The Mx3 Hydration Testing System, Ian Winter, Josie Burdin, Patrick B. Wilson

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Assessing hydration status outside of laboratories can be challenging given that most hydration measures are invasive, stationary, costly, or have questionable validity. This study investigated the within-day, test-retest reliability, and minimal detectable change (MDC) of the MX3 Hydration Testing System (MX3 Diagnostics), a relatively low cost, noninvasive, and portable method to measure saliva osmolality. Seventy-five adults (44 men, 31 women; 29.6±10.8 yr, 171.1±9.2 cm, 79.1±15.4 kg) presented two saliva samples approximately 3 to 5 minutes apart. Fluid intake was avoided for at least 5 minutes prior to sample collections. For each sample collection, a researcher used the MX3 to tap …

An Objective Assessment Of Neuromotor Control Using A Smartphone App After Repeated Subconcussive Blast Exposure, Charlend K. Howard, Masahiro Yamada, Marcia Dovel, Rie Leverett, Alexander Hill, Kenneth A. Manlapaz, David O. Keyser, Rene S. Hernandez, Sheilah S. Rowe, Walter S. Carr, Michael S. Roy, Christopher K. Rhea

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Subconcussive blast exposure has been shown to alter neurological functioning. However, the extent to which neurological dysfunction persists after blast exposure is unknown. This longitudinal study examined the potential short- and long-term effects of repeated subconcussive blast exposure on neuromotor performance from heavy weapons training in military personnel. A total of 214 participants were assessed; 137 were exposed to repeated subconcussive blasts and 77 were not exposed to blasts (controls). Participants completed a short stepping-in-place task while an Android smartphone app placed on their thigh recorded movement kinematics. We showed acute suppression of neuromotor variability 6 h after subconcussive blast …

Post-Mortem Investigation Of Deaths Due To Pneumonia In Children Aged 1–59 Months In Sub-Saharan Africa And South Asia From 2016 To 2022: An Observational Study., Sana Mahtab, Dianna Blau, Zachary Madewell, Ikechukwu Ogbuanu, Julius Ojulong, Sandra Lako, Hailemariam Legesse, Joseph Bangura, Quique Bassat, Gunturu Revathi

Pathology, East Africa

Background; The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Network programme undertakes post-mortem minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS), together with collection of ante-mortem clinical information, to investigate causes of childhood deaths across multiple countries. We aimed to evaluate the overall contribution of pneumonia in the causal pathway to death and the causative pathogens of fatal pneumonia in children aged 1–59 months enrolled in the CHAMPS Network.

Methods; In this observational study we analysed deaths occurring between Dec 16, 2016, and Dec 31, 2022, in the CHAMPS Network across six countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and …

Mental Workload Modulates The Effects Of Baroreceptor Afferents On Sensorimotor Processing, Xiao Yang, Katie Herberlein, Anthony Reid, Dongfang Jiao, Fang Fang

Psychology Faculty Publications

The heart–brain interaction is the main mechanism for maintaining normative physiological processes, and its dysregulation underlies the somatic symptoms of various mental disorders. Cortical inhibition, triggered by afferent signals from baroreceptor activation, induces systematic variations in sensorimotor responses within a cardiac cycle, with reaction times (RTs) slower at cardiac systole compared to diastole (known as cardiac cycle time effects). However, recent data suggest that baroreceptor afferents not only inhibit simple responses but also facilitate complex sensorimotor responses during cardiac systole. The mental workload that is implicated in complex responses may modulate the cardiac cycle time effects. The current study aimed …

Sex Differences In The Association Between Cardiac Vagal Control And The Effects Of Baroreflex Afferents On Behavior, Xiao Yang, Jacob Chaney, Aaron S. David, Fang Fang

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide. While sex differences in CVD have been well documented, the physiological mechanisms of those sex differences remain unclear. As important components of the cardiovascular system, cardiac vagal control and baroreflex serve as mechanisms of sex differences in CVD and are modifiable factors for gender-specific CVD preventions. Methods: Ninety-four healthy adults (18–44 years of age; M_age = 21.09 years; 46 female) were recruited to complete the assessments of heart rate variability (HRV) at a resting baseline and the cardiac timing effect on an R-wave-locked reaction time (RT) …

Different Spectrum Of Space Radiation Induced Cognitive Impairments In Radiation-Naïve And Adapted Rats, Richard A. Britten, Arriyam S. Fesshaye, Alyssa Tidmore, Ella N. Tamgue, Paola A. Alvarado-Arriaga

Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases (CINID) Faculty Publications

NASA's decision to resume manned deep space mission, first to the Moon and then Mars, necessitated a detailed assessment of the potential health effects that astronauts may experience on long-duration missions. Multiple studies suggest that there may be significant space radiation (SR)-induced impairment of neurocognitive processes, including advanced executive functions. However, given the multitude of SR-induced changes in the CNS, it is possible that completely different SR-induced sequelae will be induced in previously exposed individuals. Thus, current risk estimates are likely to be pertinent only for the early stages of a deep space mission, and even then only for astronauts …