Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of A Power-Line Frequency Magnetic Field On Human Cognitive Processing, Michael Corbacio

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Extremely low frequency (ELF, < 300 Hz) magnetic fields (MFs) have been reported to modulate human cognitive performance. However, little research has investigated MF exposures comparable to the highest levels experienced in some occupations. This research evaluated the impact of a 60 Hz, 3 mT MF on human cognitive performance. Ninety-nine participants completed the double-blind protocol performing a selection of psychometric tests under two consecutive MF exposure conditions (exposure vs. no exposure). A significant interaction effect on a working memory test (digit span forward - F=5.21, p

Association Between In Utero Arsenic Exposure, Placental Gene Expression, And Infant Birth Weight: A Us Birth Cohort Study, Dennis Liang Fei, Devin C. Koestler, Zhigang Li, Camilla Giambelli, Avencia Sanchez-Mejias, Julie Gosse, Carmen J. Marsit, Margaret R. Karagas, David J. Robbins

Dartmouth Scholarship

Epidemiologic studies and animal models suggest that in utero arsenic exposure affects fetal health, with a negative association between maternal arsenic ingestion and infant birth weight often observed. However, the molecular mechanisms for this association remain elusive. In the present study, we aimed to increase our understanding of the impact of low-dose arsenic exposure on fetal health by identifying possible arsenic-associated fetal tissue biomarkers in a cohort of pregnant women exposed to arsenic at low levels.

Methods: Arsenic concentrations were determined from the urine samples of a cohort of 133 pregnant women from New Hampshire. Placental tissue samples collected from …

Serine/Threonine Kinase 17a Is A Novel Candidate For Therapeutic Targeting In Glioblastoma, Pingping Mao, Mary P. Hever-Jardine, Gilbert J. Rahme, Eric Yang, Janice Tam, Anita Kodali, Bijesh Biswal, Camilo E. Fadul, Arti Gaur, Mark A. Israel, Michael J. Spinella

Dartmouth Scholarship

STK17A is a relatively uncharacterized member of the death-associated protein family of serine/threonine kinases which have previously been associated with cell death and apoptosis. Our prior work established that STK17A is a novel p53 target gene that is induced by a variety of DNA damaging agents in a p53-dependent manner. In this study we have uncovered an additional, unanticipated role for STK17A as a candidate promoter of cell proliferation and survival in glioblastoma (GBM). Unexpectedly, it was found that STK17A is highly overexpressed in a grade-dependent manner in gliomas compared to normal brain and other cancer cell types with the …

X-Linked Mtmr8 Diversity And Evolutionary History Of Sub-Saharan Populations, Damian Labuda, Vania Yotova, Jean-François Lefebvre, Claudia Moreau, Gerd Utermann, Scott M. Williams

Dartmouth Scholarship

The genetic diversity within an 11 kb segment of the MTMR8 gene in a sample of 111 sub-Saharan and 49 non-African X chromosomes was investigated to assess the early evolutionary history of sub-Saharan Africans and the out-of-Africa expansion. The analyses revealed a complex genetic structure of the Africans that contributed to the emergence of modern humans. We observed partitioning of two thirds of old lineages among southern, west/central and east African populations indicating ancient population stratification predating the out of Africa migration. Age estimates of these lineages, older than coalescence times of uniparentally inherited markers, raise the question whether contemporary …

Multiple Dimensions Of The Symptom Experience In Patients With Advanced Cancer And Their Impact On Quality Of Life, Stephanie Gilbertson-White

Stephanie Gilbertson-White

Many people with advanced cancer experience multiple severe symptoms as their disease progresses such as pain, sleep problems, fatigue, and depression. These symptoms can be a result of the cancer itself, cancer treatment or an interaction of the two. The studies reported in this dissertation uses the patients' own responses to survey questions to describe the multiple dimensions of the symptom experience; the factors that predict the total number of symptoms; as well as the optimal cutpoint between a low and a high number of symptoms and the between group differences in patient outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, quality-of-life).

Electronic Documentation Systems: The Impact On Pain Documentation, Stephanie Gilbertson-White, S. Shapiro

Stephanie Gilbertson-White

No abstract provided.

Documentation On Withdrawal Of Life Support In Adult Patients In The Intensive Care Unit [Corrected] [Published Erratum Appears In Am J Crit Care 2004 Sep;13(5):370], K. Kirchhoff, P. Anumandla, K. Foth, S. Lues, Stephanie Gilbertson-White

Stephanie Gilbertson-White

BACKGROUND: Patients' charts have been a source of data for retrospective studies of the quality of end-of-life care. In the intensive care unit, most patients die after withdrawal of life support. Chart reviews of this process could be used not only to assess the quality of documentation but also to provide information for quality improvement and research. OBJECTIVE: To assess the documentation of end-of-life care of patients and their families by care providers in the intensive care unit. METHOD: Charts of 50 adult patients who died in the intensive care unit at a large midwestern hospital after initiation of withdrawal …

The Stability Of Patient Subgroups Identified Using Cluster Analysis, Stephanie Gilbertson-White, C. Miaskowski, K. Lee, M. Dodd, C. West, B. Cooper

Stephanie Gilbertson-White

No abstract provided.

Clinical Phenotypes And Abcc6 Gene Mutations In Brazilian Families With Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum., Caroline Silvério Faria, Qiaoli Li, Haitao Guo, Jouni Uitto, Sylvia Satomi Takeno, Marilia De Arruda Cardoso Smith, Dertia Villalba Freire-Maia

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE; OMIM 264800) manifests with characteristic skin lesions of yellowish papules which coalesce into plaques of inelastic and leathery skin on the predilection sites (1). The ocular findings consist of angioid streaks, choroidal neovascularization and subretinal hemorrhages resulting in loss of visual acuity and occasional blindness. Cardiovascular problems include hypertension, intermittent claudication, and occasional myocardial infarcts and stroke. The prevalence of PXE is estimated to be in the range of 1:50,000-70,000 and to be more frequent in females than in males. The diagnosis can be challenging to clinicians due to late-onset of clinical manifestations and considerable heterogeneity. PXE …

Patterning In Placental 11-B Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Methylation According To Prenatal Socioeconomic Adversity, Allison A. Appleton, David A. Armstrong, Corina Lesseur, Joyce Lee, James F. Padbury, Barry M. Lester

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background:

Prenatal socioeconomic adversity as an intrauterine exposure is associated with a range of perinatal outcomes although the explanatory mechanisms are not well understood. The development of the fetus can be shaped by the intrauterine environment through alterations in the function of the placenta. In the placenta, the HSD11B2 gene encodes the 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme, which is responsible for the inactivation of maternal cortisol thereby protecting the developing fetus from this exposure. This gene is regulated by DNA methylation, and this methylation and the expression it controls has been shown to be susceptible to a variety of stressors from …

Cyclin D1 Determines Estrogen Signaling In The Mammary Gland In Vivo., Mathew C Casimiro, Chenguang Wang, Z Li, Gabriele Disante, Nicole E Willmart, Sankar Addya, Lei Chen, Yang Liu, Michael P. Lisanti, Richard Pestell

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

The CCND1 gene, which is frequently overexpressed in cancers, encodes the regulatory subunit of a holoenzyme that phosphorylates the retinoblastoma protein. Although it is known that cyclin D1 regulates estrogen receptor (ER)α transactivation using heterologous reporter systems, the in vivo biological significance of cyclin D1 to estrogen-dependent signaling, and the molecular mechanisms by which cyclin D1 is involved, are yet to be elucidated. Herein, genome-wide expression profiling conducted of 17β-estradiol-treated castrated virgin mice deleted of the Ccnd1 gene demonstrated that cyclin D1 determines estrogen-dependent gene expression for 88% of estrogen-responsive genes in vivo. In addition, expression profiling of 17β-estradiol-stimulated cyclin …

Integration Of Comprehensive Women’S Health Programmes Into Health Systems: Cervical Cancer Prevention, Care And Control In Rwanda, Agnes Binagwaho, Fidele Ngabo, Claire M. Wagner, Cathy Mugeni, Maurice Gatera, Cameron T. Nutt, Sabin Nsanzimana

Dartmouth Scholarship

PROBLEM: Although it is highly preventable and treatable, cervical cancer is the most common and most deadly cancer among women in Rwanda.

APPROACH: By mobilizing a diverse coalition of partnerships, Rwanda became the first country in Africa to develop and implement a national strategic plan for cervical cancer prevention, screening and treatment.

LOCAL SETTING: Rwanda - a small, landlocked nation in East Africa with a population of 10.4 million - is well positioned to tackle a number of "high-burden" noncommunicable diseases. The country's integrated response to infectious diseases has resulted in steep declines in premature mortality over the past decade. …

Understanding The Pincer - The Importance Of Reference Plane Orientation On Acetabular Rim Evaluation, Anil K. Gupta, Nozomu Inoue, Michael D. Hellman, Joshua D. Harris, Frank M. Mccormick, Shane Nho

Rothman Institute Faculty Papers

Objectives: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a common cause of young adult hip pain. FAI can result from an acetabular-sided bony lesion, or “pincer” lesion. A pincer lesion is defined as an area of linear contact between the acetabular rim and the femoral head-neck junction due to general or focal acetabular overcoverage. Three dimensional (3D) analysis of the acetabular rim morphology is essential to understand etiology and aciculate diagnosis of the of the pincer type FAI. A few studies have measured 3D geometry of the acetabular rim; in which the acetabular rim is described as a deviation from a reference plane. …

Sequential Sectioning Of The Ulnar Collateral Ligament Of The Elbow In Cadaveric Arms With Ulnohumeral Laxity Assessed By Dynamic Ultrasonography, Christopher C. Dodson, Levon N. Nazarian, Michael G. Ciccotti, Steven B. Cohen, Sommer Hammoud, Michael C. Ciccotti

Rothman Institute Faculty Papers

Objectives: Injury of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), whether acute or chronic, is potentially career-threatening for elite overhead throwing athletes. Dynamic ultrasound (DUS) allows for rapid, cost-effective, non-invasive, and non-radiating evaluation of the UCL and elbow joint both at rest and with applied stress. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of cadaveric elbow valgus laxity with sequential UCL sectioning using DUS. Our objective was to quantify which portions of the UCL must be injured to cause the varying levels of laxity seen clinically on DUS testing. No prior study has used DUS to quantify valgus joint …

Has Novelty In Healthcare Gone A Little Stale?, Ray Moynihan

Ray Moynihan

Extract: Although drugs are essential, the roar of their marketing distorts decision making in favour of the newest and most expensive pills at the expense of older ones or of non-drug approaches. New diagnostic technologies offer undreamt of opportunities to detect ever earlier signs of illness, but they have also brought the increasingly recognised risk of overdiagnosis. Much has been written about how promotion can drive inappropriate use of valuable technologies, but does our deep love affair with novelty deserve more scrutiny?

A Joint Matrix Completion And Filtering Model For Influenza Serological Data Integration., Xiao-Tong Yuan, Tong Zhang, Xiu-Feng Wan

College of Veterinary Medicine Publications and Scholarship

Antigenic characterization based on serological data, such as Hemagglutination Inhibition (HI) assay, is one of the routine procedures for influenza vaccine strain selection. In many cases, it would be impossible to measure all pairwise antigenic correlations between testing antigens and reference antisera in each individual experiment. Thus, we have to combine and integrate the HI tables from a number of individual experiments. Measurements from different experiments may be inconsistent due to different experimental conditions. Consequently we will observe a matrix with missing data and possibly inconsistent measurements. In this paper, we develop a new mathematical model, which we refer to …

Identification And Molecular Characterization Of A New Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Locus At 17q21.31, Jennifer Permuth-Wey, Kate Lawrenson, Howard C. Shen, Aneliya Velkova, Jonathan P. Tyrer, Zhihua Chen, Hui-Yi Lin, Y. Ann Chen, Ya-Yu Tsai, Xiaotao Qu, Susan J. Ramus, Rod Karevan, Janet Lee, Nathan Lee, Melissa C. Larson, Katja K. Aben, Hoda Anton-Culver, Natalia Antonenkova, Antonis Antoniou, Sebastian M. Armasu, Australian Cancer Study, Queensland Institute Of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australian Ovarian Cancer Study, Queensland Institute Of Medical Research, Brisbane, François Bacot, Laura Baglietto, Elisa V. Bandera, Jill Barnholtz-Sloan, Matthias W. Beckmann, Michael J. Birrer, Greg Bloom, Natalia Bogdanova, Louise A. Brinton, Angela Brooks-Wilson, Robert Brown, Ralf Butzow, Qiuyin Cai, Ian Campbell, Jenny Change-Claude, Stephen Chanock, Georgia Chenevix-Trench, Jin Q. Cheng, Mine S. Cicek, Gerhard A. Coetzee, Consortium Of Investigators Of Modifiers Of Brca1/2, Linda S. Cook, Fergus J. Couch, Daniel W. Cramer, Julie M. Cunningham, Agnieszka Dansonka-Mieszkowska, Evelyn Despierre, Jennifer Doherty

Dartmouth Scholarship

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has a heritable component that remains to be fully characterized. Most identified common susceptibility variants lie in non-protein-coding sequences. We hypothesized that variants in the 3 ′ untranslated region at putative microRNA (miRNA) binding sites represent functional targets that influence EOC susceptibility. Here, we evaluate the association between 767 miRNA binding site single nucleotide polymorphisms (miRSNPs) and EOC risk in 18,174 EOC cases and 26,134 controls from 43 studies genotyped through the Collaborative Oncological Gene-environment Study. We identify several miRSNPs associated with invasive serous EOC risk (OR=1.12, P =10⁻⁸ ) mapping to an inversion polymorphism …

Earthly Indifference And Human Difference - Book Review, Lesley Head

Lesley Head

Inspired by, but also in reaction to the flattened topologies of Latourian relationality, Clark puts forward the notion of radical asymmetry. 'This is the bottom line of human being: we are utterly dependent on an earth and a cosmos that is, to a large degree, indifferent to us' (p. 50). With their disciplinary connection to the physical and natural sciences, geographers arguably need this lesson less than other social scientists. We should have learned it well from geologists who, spending their working lives in deepest time, tend to have a less anthropocentric perspective than others (perhaps accounting for their disproportionate …

Supernumerary Minute Ring Chromosome 14 In A Man With Primary Infertility And Left Varicocele, B. Stahl, S. Patil, Craig Syrop, Amy Sparks, M. Wald

Amy E.T. Sparks

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of supernumerary minute ring chromosome (SMRC) in an infertile man, with the concurrent finding of a left varicocele. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Urologic infertility clinic in a university hospital. PATIENT(S): Male patient presenting with primary infertility. INTERVENTION(S): Karyotyping, genetic counseling, and microsurgical left varicocelectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Sperm concentration and motility, chromosomal number and structure. RESULT(S): Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealing SMRC 14. Sperm concentration and motility improved after left varicocele repair. CONCLUSION(S): A karyotype should be included in the evaluation of severe oligospermia. Although SMRC 14 may be associated with fertility problems, repair of …

Achievement Of Pregnancy In Globozoospermia With Y Chromosome Microdeletion After Icsi., Hulusi Zeyneloglu, Volkan Baltaci, E. Duran, Esra Erdemli, Sertac Batioglu

Eyup Hakan Duran

Pregnancy achieved with sperm from a patient with globozoospermia is rare, even after ICSI, since the activation of the oocyte may not occur in this disorder. Therefore, activation of the oocytes by piezoelectricity or calcium ionophores has been suggested, although spontaneous activation of the oocyte after ICSI has been reported in some cases. We report a successful pregnancy in a couple in which the male partner had globozoospermia with microdeletions in the Y chromosome with no further assisted activation after ICSI. During the diagnostic study of the husband, increased numerical chromosome abnormalities after fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) and microdeletions in …

Optimization Of Dose And Image Quality For Computed Radiography And Digital Radiography, J. Aldrich, Eyup Duran, P. Dunlop, J. Mayo

Eyup Hakan Duran

The surface doses to patients during chest, abdomen and pelvis radiography were measured over a period of 3 years, during which time computed radiography (CR) and digital radiography (DR) systems were introduced to replace film-screen systems. For film-screen and CR the surface doses were measured with thermoluminescent dosimeters. For DR the surface doses were calculated from the dose-area product (DAP) meter readings. Measurements were made for each type of examination and detector type on 10 average-size patients. Measurements were made immediately after the new systems were introduced, and subsequently as adjustments were made to optimize dose and image quality. Published …

Incidence Of Anti-Heparin/Platelet Factor 4 Antibodies And Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia In Medical Patients [Turkish], M. Demir, E. Tekgündüz, M. Edis, Eyup Duran, T. Kürüm

Eyup Hakan Duran

OBJECTIVE: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a life threatening complication of heparin therapy, causing thrombosis. The aim of our study was to find out the frequencies of HIT antibody seroconversion and clinical HIT in Turkish medical patients on different forms of heparins. METHODS: Our study included 61 patients who were on unfractionated heparin (UFH) (n: 37) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) (n: 24) therapies. The frequency of HIT antibody formation was determined by means of antigenic (ELISA), and functional assays (serotonin release assay-SRA). RESULTS: The seroconversion rates in UFH and LMWH groups were found to be 18.9% and 4.1% (ELISA), …

Research And Professional Briefs. Folate, Zinc, And Vitamin B-12 Intake During Pregnancy And Postpartum, M. Berg, D. Van Dyke, C. Chenard, Jennifer Niebyl, S. Hirankarn, A. Bendich, P. Stumbo

Jennifer R Niebyl

No abstract provided.

Quantitative And Qualitative Relationships Between Fetal Heart Rate Accelerations And Fetal Movement, Trb Johnson, R. Besinger, R. Thomas, D. Strobino, Jennifer Niebyl

Jennifer R Niebyl

No abstract provided.

Cervical Cancer Diagnosed Shortly After Pregnancy: Prognostic Variables And Delivery Routes, A. Sood, J. Sorosky, N. Mayr, B. Anderson, R. Buller, Jennifer Niebyl

Jennifer R Niebyl

No abstract provided.

Maternal Parenting Stress And Mothers' Reports Of Their Infants' Mastery Motivation, T. Sparks, Stephen Hunter, T. Backman, G. Morgan, R. Ross

Stephen K. Hunter

No abstract provided.

Antidepressants May Mitigate The Effects Of Prenatal Maternal Anxiety On Infant Auditory Sensory Gating, Stephen Hunter, J. Mendoza, K. D'Anna, G. Zerbe, L. Mccarthy, C. Hoffman, R. Freedman, R. Ross

Stephen K. Hunter

OBJECTIVE: Prenatal maternal anxiety has detrimental effects on the offspring's neurocognitive development, including impaired attentional function. Antidepressants are commonly used during pregnancy, yet their impact on offspring attention and their interaction with maternal anxiety has not been assessed. The authors used P50 auditory sensory gating, a putative marker of early attentional processes measurable in young infants, to assess the impact of maternal anxiety and antidepressant use. METHOD: A total of 242 mother-infant dyads were classified relative to maternal history of anxiety and maternal prenatal antidepressant use. Infant P50 auditory sensory gating was recorded during active sleep at a mean age …

Defining The Functional Properties Of Dietary Protein And Protein-Rich Foods In Human Energy Expenditure, Sze Yen Tan, Linda Tapsell, Marijka Batterham, Karen Charlton

Karen E. Charlton

Food has a number of functional properties that can support the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure and, theoretically, one of these is the thermic effect of food. Including high-protein foods in meals may be advantageous in contributing to energy expenditure but, in practice, the evidence needs to relate to specific foods and normal dietary conditions. Using the human whole room calorimeter facility, we conducted three studies to examine the effects of: (i) higher and lower levels of protein on energy expenditure; (ii) high-protein meals using different foods to deliver the protein; and (iii) omnivorous and vegetarian cuisines in …

A Perspective On Multiple Waves Of Influenza Pandemics, Anna Mummert, Howard Weiss, Li-Ping Long, José M. Amigó, Xiu-Feng Wan

College of Veterinary Medicine Publications and Scholarship

BACKGROUND: A striking characteristic of the past four influenza pandemic outbreaks in the United States has been the multiple waves of infections. However, the mechanisms responsible for the multiple waves of influenza or other acute infectious diseases are uncertain. Understanding these mechanisms could provide knowledge for health authorities to develop and implement prevention and control strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We exhibit five distinct mechanisms, each of which can generate two waves of infections for an acute infectious disease. The first two mechanisms capture changes in virus transmissibility and behavioral changes. The third mechanism involves population heterogeneity (e.g., demography, geography), where …

Social Support, Psychological Distress, And Natural Killer Cell Activity In Ovarian Cancer, S. Lutgendorf, A. Sood, B. Anderson, S. Mcginn, H. Maiseri, M. Dao, J. Sorosky, Koen De Geest, J. Ritchie, D. Lubaroff

Koen De Geest

PURPOSE: Psychosocial stress has been related to impaired immunity in cancer patients. However, the extent to which these relationships exist in immune cells in the tumor microenvironment in humans has not been explored. We examined relationships among distress, social support, and natural killer (NK) cell activity in ovarian cancer patients in peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), ascitic fluid, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients awaiting surgery for a pelvic mass suspected of being ovarian cancer completed psychological questionnaires and gave a presurgical sample of peripheral blood. Samples of tumor and ascites were taken during surgery, lymphocytes were then isolated, …