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There has been an alarming rise in the prevalence of obesity which has been attributed to the paralleled rise in consumption of high-fat foods. It’s commonly accepted that high-fat diets can lead to increased weight gain, however not all fats have the same physiological action. This study primarily focuses on

There has been an alarming rise in the prevalence of obesity which has been attributed to the paralleled rise in consumption of high-fat foods. It’s commonly accepted that high-fat diets can lead to increased weight gain, however not all fats have the same physiological action. This study primarily focuses on the effect of canola oil, a monounsaturated fat, on energy homeostasis and body composition when it’s given as a supplement to a high-fat diet composed of saturated fatty acid. Rodent models were divided into three dietary groups: 1) low-fat diet (LFD), 2) high-fat diet (HFD) and 3) canola oils supplemented HFD (HF+CAN). After 4 weeks of dietary intervention, samples of epididymal fat, perinephric fat, and liver were analyzed across the three groups to see if the changes in energy homeostasis could be explained by the cellular behavior and composition of these tissues. Interestingly, the supplement of canola oil appeared to reverse the deleterious effects of a saturated fat diet, reverting energy intake, body weight gain and adipose tissue sizes to that (if not lower than that) of the LFD group. The only exception to this effect was the liver: the livers remained larger and fattier than those of the HFD. This occurrence is possibly due to a decrease in free fatty acid uptake in the adipose tissues—resulting in smaller adipose tissue sizes—and increased fatty acid uptake in the liver. The mechanism by which this occurs has yet to be elucidated and will be the primary focus of upcoming studies on the effect of monounsaturated fat on other diets.
ContributorsZuo, Connie Wanda (Author) / Washo-Krupps, Delon (Thesis director) / Deviche, Pierre (Committee member) / Herman, Richard (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
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Neuroinflammation is mediated by activated microglia, the chief immune response of the central nervous system. Mitochondrial 18kDa translocator protein (TSPO) is upregulated in activated microglia and has been used in PET scans to analyze peripheral and central inflammation with TSPO radioligand [18F]DPA-714. To test the hypothesis that TSPO is involved

Neuroinflammation is mediated by activated microglia, the chief immune response of the central nervous system. Mitochondrial 18kDa translocator protein (TSPO) is upregulated in activated microglia and has been used in PET scans to analyze peripheral and central inflammation with TSPO radioligand [18F]DPA-714. To test the hypothesis that TSPO is involved in microglial mediation of inflammatory responses to Aβ and other Alzheimer’s pathological elements, TSPO expression was evaluated in relation to microglia specific markers (IBA1 and LN3 antibodies) and markers for AD pathology, Aβ (6E10 antibody) and hyperphosphorylated tau (AT8 antibody). To test that TSPO is involved in inflammatory pathways, HEK cells transfected with TSPO plasmids were assessed for oxidative stress in response to Alzheimer’s disease pathogenic agents, β Amyloid (Aβ), and Parkinson’s disease α-synuclein (α-syn).

Fluorescence microscopy of TSPO transfected HEK cell cultures labeled with Carboxy-H2DCFDA and treated with Beta Amyloid (Aβ) and α-synuclein (α-syn) resulted in DAPI fluorescing Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) nuclei in blue and Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) fluorescing reactive oxygen species (ROS) or oxidative stress in cell cytoplasm in green. Preliminary study suggests TSPO transfected cells may be used to test oxidative stress with disease pathological elements (Aβ and α-synuclein). In IHC, TSPO immunoreactivity was observed in IBA1 and LN3 marked microglia with varying degrees of expression. Beaded structures were also observed with TSPO immunoreactivities, possibly representing microglia processes. TSPO immunoreactivity was observed in and surrounding amyloid plaques and p-tau immunoreactive neurites. This demonstrates that TSPO is predominantly expressed in microglia and are closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease pathological elements, suggesting involvement of TSPO-expressing microglia in neurodegenerative processes.
ContributorsWu, Michael (Author) / Lue, Lih-Fen (Thesis director) / Washo-Krupps, Delon (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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In the United States, a dispute has arisen over the safety and need for vaccination, particularly in regard to compulsory vaccination laws. New outlets and social media sites publish countless reports about the dangers of vaccines or of known adverse reactions as well as imagined or unproven worries. Individuals' rights

In the United States, a dispute has arisen over the safety and need for vaccination, particularly in regard to compulsory vaccination laws. New outlets and social media sites publish countless reports about the dangers of vaccines or of known adverse reactions as well as imagined or unproven worries. Individuals' rights to choose to get vaccinated or allow their children to be vaccinated comes to direct conflict with measures needed to protect communities from preventable viral diseases. The controversy surrounding vaccines is not new, nor necessarily are the fundamental reasons for skepticism. Looking back through the history of vaccines as a medical tool, the evolution of the controversy can be observed taking place with each new historical context, scientific development, and social conditions. Despite scientific research and assurances of vaccine safety, opposition and unease about vaccination appear to take Looking individually at the development and distribution of the smallpox (variola virus), polio (poliovirus) and human papilloma virus(HPV) vaccines, concerns regarding the violation of personal rights, safety of vaccines themselves, and social stigmas and connotations surrounding vaccines can be seen to evolve and change. Due to the way doubt can manifest in different ways over time, it may be impossible to fully end the vaccine debate. However, nderstanding the sociological factors behind anti-vaccine sentiment may allow healthcare professionals to work with concerned people with a particular care to address these visceral and sometimes irrational fears surrounding vaccination.
ContributorsStevens, Luke Christian (Author) / Jacobs, Bertram (Thesis director) / Washo-Krupps, Delon (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-05
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Parents of patients receiving treatment at Parsons Center for Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics were surveyed in this study in an effort to uncover their motivations to seek specialty dental treatment for their children. Parsons Center for Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics is a specialty dental clinic that focuses on increasing the

Parents of patients receiving treatment at Parsons Center for Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics were surveyed in this study in an effort to uncover their motivations to seek specialty dental treatment for their children. Parsons Center for Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics is a specialty dental clinic that focuses on increasing the accessibility of dental care, serving both insured and uninsured patients in Phoenix, Arizona. The demographic of this study is assumed to be the surrounding areas, including Maricopa County and the zip code to which Parsons pertains, 85009. Approximately half of the population in this area are low income individuals, and a large percentage of the population are of Hispanic/Latino heritage. Over the course of this investigation, eighty participating parents completed a short survey to determine factors relevant in their decision to obtain pediatric, as opposed to general (family) dental treatment, for their children. Parents were asked questions regarding their age, the age and dental treatment history of their children, and the relevance of six factors in their decision to visit the Parsons Center. Overall, "professional/personal recommendation" was the decision factor with the highest average relevance valuation followed by "Spanish-speaking staff," "location," "lack of insurance," "insurance accepted," and "past (patient) traumatic experience." Results suggest the importance of quality care and word-of-mouth recommendations as well as the significance of understanding and serving the needs of one's surrounding population effectively.
ContributorsChinchilla, Ammie Lucero (Author) / Washo-Krupps, Delon (Thesis director) / Bang, Christofer (Committee member) / Arya, Neeta (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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Student to Student: A Guide to Anatomy is an anatomy guide written by students, for students. Its focus is on teaching the anatomy of the heart, lungs, nose, ears and throat in a manner that isn't overpowering or stress inducing. Daniel and I have taken numerous anatomy courses, and fully

Student to Student: A Guide to Anatomy is an anatomy guide written by students, for students. Its focus is on teaching the anatomy of the heart, lungs, nose, ears and throat in a manner that isn't overpowering or stress inducing. Daniel and I have taken numerous anatomy courses, and fully comprehend what it takes to have success in these classes. We found that the anatomy books recommended for these courses are often completely overwhelming, offering way more information than what is needed. This renders them near useless for a college student who just wants to learn the essentials. Why would a student even pick it up if they can't find what they need to learn? With that in mind, our goal was to create a comprehensive, easy to understand, and easy to follow guide to the heart, lungs and ENT (ear nose throat). We know what information is vital for test day, and wanted to highlight these key concepts and ideas in our guide. Spending just 60 to 90 minutes studying our guide should help any student with their studying needs. Whether the student has medical school aspirations, or if they simply just want to pass the class, our guide is there for them. We aren't experts, but we know what strategies and methods can help even the most confused students learn. Our guide can also be used as an introductory resource to our respective majors (Daniel-Biology, Charles-Speech and Hearing) for students who are undecided on what they want to do. In the future Daniel and I would like to see more students creating similar guides, and adding onto the "Student to Student' title with their own works... After all, who better to teach students than the students who know what it takes?
ContributorsKennedy, Charles (Co-author) / McDermand, Daniel (Co-author) / Kingsbury, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Washo-Krupps, Delon (Committee member) / Department of Speech and Hearing Science (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05