Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Gender Specific Differences In The Pros And Cons Of Smoking Among Current Smokers In Eastern Kentucky: Implications For Future Smoking Cessation Interventions, Dana A. Hazen, David M. Mannino, Richard Clayton

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

This study investigated gender differences in the perceived “pros” and “cons” of smoking using the constructs of decisional balance (DB) and stage of change from the Transtheoretical Model. The population distribution for stage of change among a population-based, cross-sectional survey of 155 current smokers over 40 years was: precontemplation (22.6%), contemplation (41.9%), preparation (35.5%). Results of stepwise regression models indicated significant gender differences in DB were in the preparation stage of change; scores on the DB measure increased 3.94 points (95% CI: 1.94, 5.93) for male smokers. Interventions targeting the “pros” and “cons” of smoking may need to be gender …

Gender Specific Differences In The Pros And Cons Of Smoking Among Current Smokers In Eastern Kentucky: Implications For Future Smoking Cessation Interventions, Dana A. Hazen, David M. Mannino, Richard Clayton

David M. Mannino

This study investigated gender differences in the perceived “pros” and “cons” of smoking using the constructs of decisional balance (DB) and stage of change from the Transtheoretical Model. The population distribution for stage of change among a population-based, cross-sectional survey of 155 current smokers over 40 years was: precontemplation (22.6%), contemplation (41.9%), preparation (35.5%). Results of stepwise regression models indicated significant gender differences in DB were in the preparation stage of change; scores on the DB measure increased 3.94 points (95% CI: 1.94, 5.93) for male smokers. Interventions targeting the “pros” and “cons” of smoking may need to be gender …

Manufactured Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles Decrease Expression Of Tight Junction Proteins In Brain Vasculature, Lei Chen, Robert A. Yokel, Bernhard Hennig, Michal Toborek

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Manufactured nanoparticles of aluminum oxide (nano-alumina) have been widely used in the environment; however, their potential toxicity provides a growing concern for human health. The present study focuses on the hypothesis that nano-alumina can affect the blood-brain barrier and induce endothelial toxicity. In the first series of experiments, human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) were exposed to alumina and control nanoparticles in dose- and time-responsive manners. Treatment with nano-alumina markedly reduced HBMEC viability, altered mitochondrial potential, increased cellular oxidation, and decreased tight junction protein expression as compared to control nanoparticles. Alterations of tight junction protein levels were prevented by cellular …

Borderline Personality Disorder: An Overview Of History, Diagnosis And Treatment In Adolescents, Linah Al-Alem, Hatim A. Omar

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a cluster B personality disorder. It is characterized by erratic behaviors, emotional instability and one of its hallmarks is self injurious behavior, which starts in adolescence. Patients with BPD are difficult to treat, most have a history of child sexual abuse, about a quarter present with sexual abuse from a caretaker. Although personality disorders are diagnosed only in adults, BPD manifests itself in adolescence in the form of uncontrollable anger, self mutilations, dissociation and other such behaviors. Hence, there is a growing number of scientists discussing the possibility of diagnosing BPD in adolescents. Here, we …

Aluminum Bioavailability From Tea Infusion, Robert A. Yokel, Rebecca L. Florence

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The objective was to estimate oral Al bioavailability from tea infusion in the rat, using the tracer ²⁶Al. ²⁶Al citrate was injected into tea leaves. An infusion was prepared from the dried leaves and given intra-gastrically to rats which received concurrent intravenous ²⁷Al infusion. Oral Al bioavailability (F) was calculated from the area under the ²⁶Al, compared to ²⁷Al, serum concentration × time curves. Bioavailability from tea averaged 0.37%; not significantly different from water (F = 0.3%), or basic sodium aluminum phosphate (SALP) in cheese (F = 0.1 to 0.3%), but greater than acidic SALP …

Young People's Blood Alcohol Concentration And The Alcohol Consumption City Law, Brazil, Raquel De Boni, Carl G. Leukefeld, Flavio Pechansky

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

The paper assesses blood alcohol concentration and risk behaviors for traffic accidents before and after the implementation of a law which prohibits the use of alcoholic beverages on city gas stations. In Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, young people go out at night and drive to gas station convenience stores to buy alcoholic beverages which are consumed on the premises of parking lots in gas stations. Data were obtained from self-administered questionnaires and breath analyzers in two cross-sectional collections with purposive samples of youngsters in May and July 2006 (n=62, and n=50, respectively). There were no significant differences between the groups …

Obstructive Lung Disease Models: What Is Valid, Jill M. Ferdinands, David M. Mannino

David M. Mannino

Use of disease simulation models has led to scrutiny of model methods and demand for evidence that models credibly simulate health outcomes. We sought to describe recent obstructive lung disease simulation models and their validation. Medline and EMBASE were used to identify obstructive lung disease simulation models published from January 2000 to June 2006. Publications were reviewed to assess model attributes and four types of validation: first-order (verification/debugging), second-order (comparison with studies used in model development), third-order (comparison with studies not used in model development), and predictive validity. Six asthma and seven chronic obstructive pulmonary disease models were identified. Seven …

Differential Gene Expression Associated With Postnatal Equine Articular Cartilage Maturation, Michael J. Mienaltowski, Liping Huang, Arnold J. Stromberg, James N. Macleod

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Articular cartilage undergoes an important maturation process from neonate to adult that is reflected by alterations in matrix protein organization and increased heterogeneity of chondrocyte morphology. In the horse, these changes are influenced by exercise during the first five months of postnatal life. Transcriptional profiling was used to evaluate changes in articular chondrocyte gene expression during postnatal growth and development.

METHODS: Total RNA was isolated from the articular cartilage of neonatal (0-10 days) and adult (4-5 years) horses, subjected to one round of linear RNA amplification, and then applied to a 9,367-element equine-specific cDNA microarray. Comparisons were made with …

Crystallization And Structure Of A Plant Peptide Deformylase, Robert L. Houtz, David W. Rodgers, Lynnette M. A. Dirk, Mark A. Williams

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Patents

This invention relates to the crystal structure of a plant peptide deformylase polypeptide and methods of using the structure to design compounds that modulate the activity of the polypeptide.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Markers Are Associated With Obesity In Nondiabetic Subjects, Neeraj K. Sharma, Swapan K. Das, Ashis K. Mondal, Oksana Hackney, Winston S. Chu, Philip A. Kern, Neda Rasouli, Horace J. Spencer, Aiwei Yao-Borengasser, Steven C. Elbein

Clinical and Translational Science Faculty Publications

Objective: Adipocyte and hepatocyte endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response is activated in dietary and genetic models of obesity in mice. We hypothesized that ER stress was also activated and associated with reduced insulin sensitivity (S_I) in human obesity.

Research Design and Methods: We recruited 78 healthy, nondiabetic individuals over a spectrum of body mass index (BMI) who underwent oral and iv glucose tolerance tests, and fasting sc adipose and muscle biopsies. We tested expression of 18 genes and levels of total and phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α, c-jun, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 in adipose tissue. We compared …

Stearoyl-Coenzyme A Desaturase 1 Gene Expression Increases After Pioglitazone Treatment And Is Associated With Peroxisomal Proliferator-Activated Receptor-Γ Responsiveness, Aiwei Yao-Borengasser, Negah Rassouli, Vijayalakshmi Varma, Angela M. Bodles, Neda Rasouli, Resat Unal, Bounleut Phanavanh, Gouri Ranganathan, Robert E. Mcgehee Jr., Philip A. Kern

Clinical and Translational Science Faculty Publications

Context and Objective: Stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (SCD1) is the rate-limiting enzyme that converts palmitoyl- and stearoyl-coenzyme A to palmitoleoyl- and oleoyl-cownzyme A, respectively. SCD-deficient mice are protected from obesity, and the ob/ob mouse has high levels of SCD. This study was designed to better characterize SCD1 gene and protein expression in humans with varying insulin sensitivity.

Design, Participants, and Setting: In a university hospital clinical research center setting, SCD1 gene expression was measured in sc adipose and vastus lateralis muscle of 86 nondiabetic subjects; 10 wk of pioglitazone (45 mg daily) and metformin (1000 mg twice daily) treatment were assessed …

Focus On Rna Isolation: Obtaining Rna For Microrna (Mirna) Expression Profiling Analyses Of Neural Tissue, Wang-Xia Wang, Bernard R. Wilfred, Donald A. Baldwin, R. Benjamin Isett, Na Ren, Arnold J. Stromberg, Peter T. Nelson

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are present in all known plant and animal tissues and appear to be somewhat concentrated in the mammalian nervous system. Many different miRNA expression profiling platforms have been described. However, relatively little research has been published to establish the importance of 'upstream' variables in RNA isolation for neural miRNA expression profiling. We tested whether apparent changes in miRNA expression profiles may be associated with tissue processing, RNA isolation techniques, or different cell types in the sample. RNA isolation was performed on a single brain sample using eight different RNA isolation methods, and results were correlated using a conventional …

Technical Variables In High-Throughput Mirna Expression Profiling: Much Work Remains To Be Done, Peter T. Nelson, Wang-Xia Wang, Bernard R. Wilfred, Guiliang Tang

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

MicroRNA (miRNA) gene expression profiling has provided important insights into plant and animal biology. However, there has not been ample published work about pitfalls associated with technical parameters in miRNA gene expression profiling. One source of pertinent information about technical variables in gene expression profiling is the separate and more well-established literature regarding mRNA expression profiling. However, many aspects of miRNA biochemistry are unique. For example, the cellular processing and compartmentation of miRNAs, the differential stability of specific miRNAs, and aspects of global miRNA expression regulation require specific consideration. Additional possible sources of systematic bias in miRNA expression studies include …

Are Adolescents Smoking Identities Valid Descriptors Of Their Smoking Behaviour? (2008), Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli, Chris G. Richardson, Pamela A. Ratner, Joy L. Johnson

Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli

Background

•Smoking identities represent psychosocial constructions of how adolescents who smoke perceive themselves in relation to their smoking behaviour

•These smoking identities converge (or diverge) with established taxonomies used to describe youth smoking behaviour

•The purpose of this study is to examine the validity of adolescents’ ‘smoking identities’ by comparing them to established smoking behaviour categorizations and perceived addiction to tobacco

Action Required: Revisiting Better Practices In Smoking Cessation Interventions For Pregnant Girls And Women (2008), Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli, Lorraine Greaves, Joan Bottorff, Lenora Marcellus, Charmaine Enns, Richard Stanwick

Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli

Background

•Despite considerable efforts by health care professionals, and an overall reduction in smoking prevalence, it is estimated that approximately 20% to 30% of pregnant women still smoke during pregnancy

•To date, smoking cessation interventions to reduce smoking during pregnancy and postpartum have been relatively unsuccessful. Despite the influx of research examining smoking and pregnancy over the last five years, the prevalence of smoking among pregnant and postpartum women has only slightly decreased

•Advice to quit smoking by health care providers, is associated with increased smoking cessation attempts in the general population. Also, studies have shown that smoking cessation interventions …

Childhood Lymphohematopoietic Cancer Incidence And Hazardous Air Pollutants In Southeast Texas, 1995–2004, Kristina W. Whitworth, Elaine Symanski, Ann L. Coker

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Cancer is the second leading cause of death among U.S. children with few known risk factors. There is increasing interest in the role of air pollutants, including benzene and 1,3-butadiene, in the etiology of childhood cancers.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to assess whether census tracts with the highest benzene or 1,3-butadiene ambient air levels have increased childhood lymphohematopoietic cancer incidence.

METHODS: Our ecologic analysis included 977 cases of childhood lymphohematopoietic cancer diagnosed from 1995–2004. We obtained the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 1999 modeled estimates of benzene and 1,3-butadiene for 886 census tracts surrounding Houston, Texas. We ran Poisson regression …

Roofing Foreman Dies From Telescopic Boom Lift Fall, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Falls

On a winter day in 2008, a male roofer/ foreman died after falling from a telescopic boom lift. He and four other roofing crew members were installing a new roof at a residence undergoing restoration. They had arrived at the job site at approximately 7:45 AM.

At approximately 8:00 AM, the foreman and two roofers were installing flashing on the roof of an alcove on the south side of the house while two other roofers were in a pickup truck putting on coveralls. The crew on the roof needed red rosin underlayment (paper) which was in the pickup truck. Using …

Sequiterpene Synthase Gene And Protein, Joe Chappell, Bryan T. Greenhagen

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

The invention relates to sesquiterpene synthases and methods for their production and use. Particularly, the invention provides nucleic acids comprising the nucleotide sequence of citrus valencene synthase (CVS) which codes for at least one CVS. The invention further provides nucleic acids comprising the nucleotide sequence coding for amino acid residues forming the tier 1 and tier 2 domains of CVS. The invention also provides for methods of making and using the nucleic acids and amino acids of the current invention.

Focal Cerebral Ischemia In The Tnfalpha-Transgenic Rat, L. Creed Pettigrew, Mark S. Kindy, Stephen W. Scheff, Joe E. Springer, Richard J. Kryscio, Yizhao Li, David S. Grass

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: To determine if chronic elevation of the inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), will affect infarct volume or cortical perfusion after focal cerebral ischemia.

METHODS: Transgenic (TNFalpha-Tg) rats overexpressing the murine TNFalpha gene in brain were prepared by injection of mouse DNA into rat oocytes. Brain levels of TNFalpha mRNA and protein were measured and compared between TNFalpha-Tg and non-transgenic (non-Tg) littermates. Mean infarct volume was calculated 24 hours or 7 days after one hour of reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Cortical perfusion was monitored by laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) during MCAO. Cortical vascular density was quantified by stereology. …

High-Activity Mutants Of Butyrylcholinesterase For Cocaine Hydrolysis And Method Of Generating The Same, Chang-Guo Zhan, Hoon Cho, Hsin-Hsiung Tai

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

A novel computational method and generation of mutant butyrylcholinesterase for cocaine hydrolysis is provided. The method includes molecular modeling a possible BChE mutant and conducting molecular dynamics simulations and hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical calculations thereby providing a screening method of possible BChE mutants by predicting which mutant will lead to a more stable transition state for a rate determining step. Site-directed mutagenesis, protein expression, and protein activity is conducted for mutants determined computationally as being good candidates for possible BChE mutants, i.e., ones predicted to have higher catalytic efficiency as compared with wild-type BChE. In addition, mutants A199S/A328W/Y332G, A199S/F227A/A328W/Y332G, A199S/S287G/A328W/Y332G, …

Missense Mutation In Exon 2 Of Slc36a1 Responsible For Champagne Dilution In Horses, Deborah Cook, Samantha Brooks, Rebecca Bellone, Ernest Bailey

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Champagne coat color in horses is controlled by a single, autosomal-dominant gene (CH). The phenotype produced by this gene is valued by many horse breeders, but can be difficult to distinguish from the effect produced by the Cream coat color dilution gene (CR). Three sires and their families segregating for CH were tested by genome scanning with microsatellite markers. The CH gene was mapped within a 6 cM region on horse chromosome 14 (LOD = 11.74 for theta = 0.00). Four candidate genes were identified within the region, namely SPARC [Secreted protein, acidic, cysteine-rich (osteonectin)], SLC36A1 (Solute Carrier 36 family …

Method For Enhancing Protective Cellular Responses To Genotoxic Stress In Skin, Elaine L. Jacobson, Myron K. Jacobson

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

The present invention is directed to methods of using pro-NAD agents capable of enhancing the dermal and epidermal skin cell NAD content. These pro-NAD agents may be administered topically, orally, or parenterally to enhance DNA repair and other protective responses to DNA damage. The invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising pro-NAD agents that effectively elevate intracellular NAD content. Finally, the invention relates to the method of using the pro-NAD agents to treat disorders such as sunburn and other skin deterioration that results from DNA damage in skin cells.

Derivatives Of Mithramycin And Methods Of Making And Uses Thereof, Jürgen Rohr, Lily L. Remsing, Mohammad Ner-E-Alam, Jose A. Salas, Carmen Mendez, Alfredo F. Brana, Ana M. Gonzalez

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

The invention, in one aspect, generally relates to mithramycin derivatives from mutated Streptomyces argillaceus and their production. The invention also relates using the derivatives for the treatment of various diseases. Finally, the invention relates to a mutated Streptomyces argillaceus useful in the production of the mithramycin derivatives.

A 53-Year-Old Male Iron Foreman Dies After Fall From Steel Decking, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Falls

During the fall of 2007, a 53-year-old male iron foreman died when he fell approximately 18 feet from roofing being installed on a retail building under new construction. Two work crews were installing metal decking for a roof by laying corrugated metal sheets to the joists of a retail building being constructed. All workers wore personal fall arrest systems complete with lanyards on the roof; none of the workers were tied off to the building. The foreman had accessed the work site via a 32-foot extension ladder to check on the progress of the work. After speaking to the first …

Epidemiology Of Copd Exacerbations, Andrea K. Johnston, David M. Mannino

David M. Mannino

Chapter Opening

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is expected to be the third cause of death worldwide by the year 2020, behind only cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease (1), and the fifth leading cause of disability-adjusted life years lost (2). In the United States, COPD accounted for 8 million outpatient visits, 1.5 millions emergency department (ED) visits, 726,000 hospitalizations, and 119,000 deaths in 2000, with the number of women dying from COPD surpassing the number of men for the first time (3). In the United Kingdom, COPD exacerbations are now the most common cause of hospital admission (4). Acute exacerbations …

Review Of Oral Oxymorphone In The Management Of Pain, Paul Sloan

Anesthesiology Faculty Publications

Chronic cancer and nonmalignant pain (CNMP) is a common and major health problem afflicting approximately 40 million persons in the US. Most cancer patients, and many patients with CNMP, require opioid analgesics to obtain adequate pain relief. Oral oxymorphone is a new formulation of an existing parenteral opioid that has become available for the treatment of significant pain: acute postoperative, chronic arthritis, chronic low back, and chronic cancer pain. Oxymorphone is a typical mu-opioid agonist that is effective in both immediate- and extended-release (IR and ER) formulations. Oxymorphone is more lipid soluble than morphine, resulting in a rapid onset of …

Accelerated High Fidelity Prion Amplification Within And Across Prion Species Barriers, Kristi M. Green, Joaquín Castilla, Tanya S. Seward, Dana L. Napier, Jean E. Jewell, Claudio Soto, Glenn C. Telling

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Experimental obstacles have impeded our ability to study prion transmission within and, more particularly, between species. Here, we used cervid prion protein expressed in brain extracts of transgenic mice, referred to as Tg(CerPrP), as a substrate for in vitro generation of chronic wasting disease (CWD) prions by protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). Characterization of this infectivity in Tg(CerPrP) mice demonstrated that serial PMCA resulted in the high fidelity amplification of CWD prions with apparently unaltered properties. Using similar methods to amplify mouse RML prions and characterize the resulting novel cervid prions, we show that serial PMCA abrogated a transmission barrier …

Cd5 Plays An Inhibitory Role In The Suppressive Function Of Murine Cd4+ Cd25+ TReg Cells, Trivikram Dasu, Joseph E. Qualls, Halide Tuna, Chander Raman, Donald A. Cohen, Subbarao Bondada

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

A subset of CD4⁺ T cells, the CD4⁺ CD25⁺ regulatory T (T_reg) cells in the lymphoid organs and peripheral blood are known to possess suppressive function. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that T cell receptor (TCR) signal is required for development of such ‘natural regulatory (T_reg) cells’ and for activation of the effector function of CD4⁺ CD25⁺ regulatory T cells. CD5 is a cell surface molecule present on all T cells and a subtype of B lymphocytes, the B-1 cells, primarily localized to coelomic cavities, Peyer's patches, …

Biology And Therapy Of Fibromyalgia. Evidence-Based Biomarkers For Fibromyalgia Syndrome, Dina Dadabhoy, Leslie J. Crofford, Michael Spaeth, I. Jon Russell, Daniel J. Clauw

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Researchers studying fibromyalgia strive to identify objective, measurable biomarkers that may identify susceptible individuals, may facilitate diagnosis, or that parallel activity of the disease. Candidate objective measures range from sophisticated functional neuroimaging to office-ready measures of the pressure pain threshold. A systematic literature review was completed to assess highly investigated, objective measures used in fibromyalgia studies. To date, only experimental pain testing has been shown to coincide with improvements in clinical status in a longitudinal study. Concerted efforts to systematically evaluate additional objective measures in research trials will be vital for ongoing progress in outcome research and translation into clinical …

Truck Drivers In Fatal Crashes After Substance Use, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Motor Vehicle

To prevent truck crashes due to substance use:

• Employers should implement and enforce a policy that prohibits commercial drivers who are ill or taking over-the-counter medications with potential side effects for impaired driving from operating a commercial vehicle.
• Employers should implement and enforce a “reasonable suspicion” drug testing policy if a driver is suspected to be under the influence of drugs.
• Companies should conduct comprehensive new-hire prescreening and after-hire random drug testing for substance abuse.
• A nationwide data- base containing a record of all commercial driver positive drug tests in the last two years should be developed.