Heart--Hypertrophy; Hydrogen sulfide--Therapeutic use
Background: Although matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMPs) play a vital role in tumor angiogenesis and TIMP-3 causes apoptosis, their role in cardiac angiogenesis is unknown. Interestingly, a disruption...
The goals of this dissertation is to further the understanding of the roles of two genes identified by differential display polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) of cat visual cortex as candidate genes to play a role in visual cortical plasticity....
Arsenic--Physiological effect; Cardiovascular system--Diseases; Liver--Effect of arsenic on; Arsenic--Toxicology
Chronic arsenic exposure is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD). Prenatal arsenic exposure at 49 ppm arsenic accelerates atherosclerosis underlying CVD in ApoE-/- mice, but the mechanism is unknown. This dissertation examines the...
Activity-based rehabilitation is important for clinically treating spinal cord injury (SCI). Advances in SCI research are dependent on quality animal models, which rely on our ability to detect functional differences in animals following injury....
Spinal cord--Wounds and injuries--Treatment; Physical therapy
Activity-based rehabilitation in the form of overground or body weight-supported treadmill (BWST) locomotor step training has become the most widely accepted therapy translated from preclinical animal research to spinal cord injury (SCI) patients....
Ten algal isolates were obtained from soil into axenic culture and placed into defined media containing from 0 to 50 ppm of DDT, 2, 4-D,2,4,5-T, rotenone, or malathion (in two purities, 95 and 99%). For nine of the isolates, growth was measured...
Through differential display PCR, Munc13-3 was identified as a gene whose relative expression in the visual cortex corresponds to critical period plasticity. Expression of the gene was low at the peak of the critical period and expression was high...
The aim of this study was to determine if playing 5 soccer matches in 4 weeks after 8 weeks of strength, conditioning and soccer training further improves aerobic and anaerobic performances. Ten college soccer players (20.1 ± 1.2 yr) completed...
Human adult olfactory epithelium contains neural progenitors (hONPs) which replace damaged cellular components throughout life. Methods to isolate and expand the hONPs have been developed in our laboratory. In response to morphogens, the hONPs...
Spinal cord--Wounds and injuries; Stretch (Physiology)
An increasing amount of healthcare resources is used for the treatment and prevention of contractures in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), with stretch and passive movements remaining the most prominent intervention methods. The results of...
The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of short-term high-intensity resistance training on time to exhaustion at maximal aerobic output. It was hypothesized that 2 weeks of training will induce improvements in performance at maximal...
The fundamental question of the exact nature of the role played by TNF in the failing myocardium remains one of contention. Many preclinical studies have demonstrated beneficial effects with TNF antagonism and recently the dichotomous role played...
Dialectical behavior therapy; Women prisoners--Rehabilitation; Women prisoners--Psychology; Women prisoners--Mental health services; Women prisoners--Mental health
This dissertation examines the effectiveness of a partial skills group component of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in female prison inmates. DBT is an evidence-based comprehensive treatment which addresses emotional reactivity, impulsivity and...
T cells; Disease susceptibility; Lupus; Sex factors in disease
Females are more susceptible to autoimmune disease than males. In several mouse models of disease, castration of males exacerbates disease while androgen treatment ameliorates disease. These data suggest hormones can have an influence on disease...
This dissertation is a post-test only comparison group study. It tests the effects of additional Motivational Interviewing sessions during the first two weeks in an intensive outpatient clinic. The object is to learn whether these additional...
Knee--Mechanical properties; Knee--Pathophysiology; Gait in humans; Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is associated with decline in functional capacity and ultimately leads to Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) in many of these patients. Exercise regimens prior to surgery may potentially enhance pre and post TKA...
Arrhythmia; Heart--Diseases; Heart beat; Heart conduction system
Introduction: Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is a pathological condition characterized by excessive levels of plasma homocysteine (Hcy). Patients with HHcy are reported to be at risk for arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation and sudden cardiac death...
Osteoporosis has become a growing health threat with rising social and economic consequences. The understanding of the relationship between bone mechanical strength and bone structural quality is important for the diagnosis of osteoporosis and the...
Autistic children--Rehabilitation; Social skills in children; Autistic children--Behavior modification; Group work in education; Peer-group tutoring of students
Social reciprocity deficits are a core feature of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and a major source of impairment regardless of cognitive or language ability (Carter, Davis, Klin, & Volkmar, 2005). Since these impairments do not naturally...
Periodontitis--Age factors; Natural immunity; Age factors in disease
Age-related alterations in innate immunity are poorly understood. The identification of those mechanisms, which are dysfunctional in old age, will shed light on potential therapeutic strategies for chronic inflammatory diseases prevalent in the...
