Therapeutic role of dietary nitrates on cardiorespiratory function in cancer survivors

Master of ScienceDepartment of KinesiologyCarl J. AdeIntroduction: The acute and chronic adverse physiological consequences of anticancer therapy include direct injury to the entire cardiovascular-skeletal muscle axis. As such, these patients are at an increased risk of both cancer therapy-related and age-related pathological outcomes; primary cardiovascular disease, exercise intolerance, and cancer-related fatigue. To date, however, therapeutic strategies that mitigate these negative effects within the human body have yet to be established. Previous work has demonstrated that dietary nitrate (NO₃⁻) supplementation can improve cardiac, vascular and cardiorespiratory exercise parameters, highlighting its potential therapeutic use in clinical populations. Therefore, we hypothesized that NO₃⁻ supplementation would improve both cardiac performance and exercise capacity. Methods: To date, 6 cancer survivors (57 ± 11 years) with a history of anticancer therapy completed a randomized, double-blind, crossover study with a single, acute-dose administration of NO₃⁻ or placebo (PL) [140 ml]. Transthoracic echocardiographic measures at rest were made to obtain left ventricular stroke volume. Patients performed a supine-cycling steady-state exercise test (30W) with measurements of arterial blood pressure, stroke volume, cardiac output, and a maximal-effort cardiopulmonary exercise test. Results: As intended, there was a statistically significant increase in plasma nitrite during the NO₃⁻ condition compared to PL (NO₃⁻ 1300 ± 963 µM vs. PL 111 ± 49 µM, respectively; P = 0.02). Additionally, we observed a decrease in relative oxygen uptake (VO₂) during steady-state exercise with NO₃⁻ compared to PL (NO₃⁻ 8.46 ± 2.2 vs. PL 8.98 ± 2.4 ml/kg/min; p = 0.01; Absolute VO₂: BRJ 0.64 ± 0.10 vs. PL: 0.68 ± 0.11 L/min; p = 0.01) indicating an improved exercise efficiency. Resting and steady-state arterial blood pressure, stroke volume, and cardiac output were not different between conditions. Furthermore, we did not observe any differences between conditions for peak relative VO₂ (NO₃⁻ 22.42 ± 3.86 vs. PL 23.14 ± 4.01 ml/kg/min; p = 0.23), total work done (NO₃⁻ 70.64 ± 29.5 vs PL 70.67 ± 30.71 kJ; p = 0.49), or for gross exercise efficiency (NO₃⁻ 5.23 ± 1.48 vs. PL 4.97 ± 1.41 kJ/L O₂; p = 0.14) during the maximal-effort cardiopulmonary exercise test. Conclusions: A single, acute-dose of inorganic nitrate supplementation in cancer survivors with a history of anticancer therapy enhanced steady-state exercise efficiency, but had no effect on exercise cardiac performance or peak exercise capacity

The Effects of Flood Warning Information on Driver Decisions in a Driving Simulator Scenario

Flood warnings are a type of risk communication that alerts the public of potential floods. Flood warnings can be communicated through mobile devices and should convey enough information to keep the user safe during a flood situation. However, the amount of detail included in the warning, such as the depth of the flood, may vary. The purpose of this study was to: (a) extend our prior research on flood warnings by recreating the written driving scenarios into the driving simulator; (b) deepen the understanding of human decision-making in risky situations; and (c) investigate how to best inform drivers of floods by design to keep them protected. We examined the effects of flood warning information on the actions taken by drivers in various driving scenarios in a driving simulator. Participants were tasked to drive to a restaurant after receiving instructions and a type of flood information warning during each scenario (flood, no flood, flood of 6 inches, flood of 6 inches maximum). Their actions taken, trust in the navigation system, understanding of the situation and scenario, and perceived risk were measured for each type of flood information warning. We found that participants accepted the alternate route more when in a scenario with a flood present compared to the no-flood scenario. The level of detail of the warning did not influence the actions taken. These results deepened the understanding of human decision-making and can guide future flood warning designs to keep drivers protected from flooded roadways

System for HIV-1 Treatment to the Brain

While HIV-1 treatment has been revolutionized by combination antiretroviral therapy in the past two decades, HIV-1 remains persistent in organs that don’t allow easy penetration of anti-HIV drugs (e.g., brain) and cause persistent HIV-1 infections and inflammation. Researchers have turned towards nanotechnology-based drug carriers to combat this challenge, such as nanodiscoidal bicelles (ND) and liposomes. Bicelles entrap the drug in their interior hydrophobic core until metabolized by the body, and the payload can be released at the desired location in a controlled, long-lasting dosage. This study investigated the toxicity and extended-release of an anti-HIV drug-loaded within ND and liposomes for HIV-1 treatment to the brain. Results from both in-vitro and in-vivo characterization studies demonstrated that further optimization of the ND formulation needs to be adjusted towards liposomal structures for future studies

Optimizing periodicity and polymodality in noise-induced genetic oscillators

Many cellular functions are based on the rhythmic organization of biological processes into self-repeating cascades of events. Some of these periodic processes, such as the cell cycles of several species, exhibit conspicuous irregularities in the form of period skippings, which lead to polymodal distributions of cycle lengths. A recently proposed mechanism that accounts for this quantized behavior is the stabilization of a Hopf-unstable state by molecular noise. Here we investigate the effect of varying noise in a model system, namely an excitable activator-repressor genetic circuit, that displays this noise-induced stabilization effect. Our results show that an optimal noise level enhances the regularity (coherence) of the cycles, in a form of coherence resonance. Similar noise levels also optimize the multimodal nature of the cycle lengths. Together, these results illustrate how molecular noise within a minimal gene regulatory motif confers robust generation of polymodal patterns of periodicity.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

CONTEMPORARY SLAVERY IN BRAZIL: THE CASE 11,289 (JOSÉ PEREIRA) IN THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

The scope of this paper is to analyze the Case 11,289 (José Pereira) in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, checking the effects of the public recognition of the responsibility of the Brazilian State in relation to the violation of human rights and the commitments made by Brazil, contained in the National Plan for the Eradication of Slave Labour, to implement actions and legislative changes to monitor and repress slave labour and slavery prevention mechanisms. The case study provides an analytical frame within which this case of contemporary slavery in Brazil, with its consequences on the Brazilians decisions, projects, policies and institutions, is illuminated and explained

The Relationship between Postural Control and Motor Proficiency in Children with Prader-Willi Syndrome and with Obesity

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare neurodevelopmental genetic disorder that can lead to obesity. Children with PWS exhibit poor motor skills and poor postural control. Postural control is defined as the ability to regulate sensory information to maintain a controlled, upright posture. Underdeveloped vestibular and proprioceptive systems, shown in PWS, may interfere with maintaining posture and performing fundamental skills that require effective sensorimotor integration. Obesity (OB) can also be negative to postural control and motor skill development. PURPOSE: This study determined the relationship between postural control and motor proficiency in children with PWS and those with OB but without PWS. METHODS: Participants were 18 children with PWS (male=10, female=8; 9.9 ± 1.1 years old) and 51 children with OB (male= 25, female= 26; 9.11 ± 1.13 years old). Postural control was determined through the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and motor proficiency was determined using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Second Edition (BOT2). Three subtests from the BOT2 were used for the analysis (bilateral coordination, balance and running speed & agility) as it was speculated performance in these skills is related to postural control. Independent T-tests were used to compare postural control and motor proficiency between the groups. Pearson product correlations evaluated the associations between postural control and motor proficiency skills with a pRESULTS: Children with PWS showed lower postural control, bilateral coordination, static balance and running speed & agility than those with OB (p\u3c .001 for all). In children with PWS postural control was positively associated with bilateral coordination (r=.704), static balance (r=.665), and running speed and agility (r=.633). In those with OB postural control was associated only with running speed & agility (r=.305). CONCLUSION: In PWS postural control was positively associated with better performance in motor skills requiring static and or dynamic balance. In children with OB but without diagnosed neurodevelopmental issues only a weak association was shown. In PWS, targeting sensory motor integration skills affecting postural control may improve overall motor proficiency in this population

Interview with Mary Rose Cardenas, 2017-06-20

https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somhi/1028/thumbnail.jp

Interview with Mary Rose Cardenas, 2017-10-27

https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somhi/1026/thumbnail.jp

Immunopathogenesis of Granulibacter bethesdensis, an opportunistic pathogen causing recurrent infection in immunocompromised patients

https://openworks.mdanderson.org/sumexp22/1151/thumbnail.jp

Interview with Mary Rose Cardenas, 2017-10-30

https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somhi/1027/thumbnail.jp