Digital Commons Network^™

Does Employment Status Influence Obesity Prevalence Among Females? A Comparative Study From Ankara, Turkey, Di̇lek Aslan, Zeynep Altin, Necmi̇ye Beydağ, Celi̇le Hati̇poğlu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Aim: In this study, we aimed to compare the nutritional habits and obesity status of employed and not-employed (i.e. homemakers) women from an urban population in Ankara between April 2 and 17, 2007. Materials and methods: Employed females (107) were amongst Keçiören (a district of Ankara) municipal employees, and homemakers were selected among the residents of the catchment area of a primary health care unit (PHCU) within the same district. The 2 groups (employed and homemakers) were high school and university graduates and were similar to each other in terms of education and age. The World Health Organization defines "overweight" …

Acute Pancreatitis As An Atypical Presentation Of Henoch-Schonlein Purpura And Cystic Fibrosis, Murat Çakir, Beri̇l Di̇lber, Mukaddes Kalyoncu, Embi̇ya Di̇lber, Ayşe Aksoy, Erol Erduran

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a rare clinical entity in childhood. Two children, aged 10 and 14 years, were hospitalized for acute abdominal pain. Clinical and laboratory findings were compatible with AP. Both patients were given supportive medications. Two days after admission, the first patient had purpuric lesions on both buttocks and lower extremities, and occult bleeding. The clinical picture was consistent with Henoch-Schonlein purpura, with pancreatitis and gastrointestinal involvement. The patient’s clinical condition improved rapidly after administration of prednisolone. The second patient had digital clubbing on physical examination, and positive sweat chloride test results led to the diagnosis of cystic …

Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms Of Toxin Resistance For Endoplasmic Reticulum Translocating Toxins, Christopher Massey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the site of co- and post-translational modification for secretory proteins. In order to prevent vesicular transport and secretion of misfolded or misassembled proteins, a highly regulated mechanism called ER-associated degradation (ERAD) is employed. This pathway recognizes misfolded proteins in the ER lumen and targets them to the cytosol for ubiquitination and subsequent degradation via the 26S proteasome. Sec61 and Derlin-1 are ER pores through which export occurs. AB-type protein toxins such as cholera toxin (CT), Shiga toxin (ST), exotoxin A (ETA), and ricin have evolved means of exploiting the ERAD pathway in order to reach …

Bacterial Selenoproteins: A Role In Pathogenesis And Targets For Antimicrobial Development, Sarah Rosario

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Selenoproteins are unique proteins in which selenocysteine is inserted into the polypeptide chain by highly specialized translational machinery. They exist within all three kingdoms of life. The functions of these proteins in biology are still being defined. In particular, the importance of selenoproteins in pathogenic microorganisms has received little attention. We first established that a nosocomial pathogen, Clostridium difficile, utilizes a selenoenzyme dependent pathway for energy metabolism. Following this initial characterization, we demonstrate that this pathway is linked to production of toxins by this organism. Finally, we show that interruption of selenium metabolism is a viable pathway for development of …

Characterization Of Nprc And Its Binding Partners, Abdel A. Alli

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The C type natriuretic peptide receptor (NPRC) also known as NPR3 is a widely expressed single transmembrane-spanning protein. NPRC functions as a homodimer at the cell surface for the metabolic clearance of a broad range of natriuretic peptides from circulation. The intracellular domain of NPRC is coupled to inhibitory G proteins and is involved in mediating signal transduction. In order to further elucidate the role of NPRC in signal transduction a proteomic approach was taken to identify putative protein binding partners for NPRC in different cell-types. An interrogation of the molecular association between NPRC and its identified protein binding partner(s) …

Beliefs And Practices Of Expert Respiratory Care Faculty On Critical-Thinking Learning: A Case Study, James Leland Hulse

Dissertations

Problem. The development of critical-thinking skills during the professional training of respiratory therapists is imperative for good practice. Research evidence suggests that interactive instructional strategies are far more effective than traditional lectures. Missing from the literature are thick descriptions of how faculty organize the delivery of respiratory therapy curriculum to develop critical thinking. This case study describes the beliefs and practices of faculty members in an academically strong program in view of developing critical thinking.

Method. A qualitative, single case-study design was used to identify critical-thinking strategies and beliefs incorporated by the faculty. The program was nominated by expert members …

Epigenetic Control Mechanisms In Somatic Cells Mediated By Dna Methyltransferase 1, Bongyong Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

DNA methylation regulates gene expression through a complex network of protein/protein and protein/DNA interactions in chromatin. The maintenance methylase, DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), is a prominent enzyme in the process that is linked to DNA replication and drives the heritable nature of epigenetic modifications in somatic cells. The mechanistic details that explain how DNMT1 catalytic action is directed in a chromatin setting are not well understood. We hypothesize that post translational modifications and a variety of protein-protein interactions processes are key regulatory elements that set the methylation of CpG elements essential for normal growth behavior in somatic cells. These fundamental …

Calreticulin And Its Role In Collagen Regulation, Lauren Van Duyn

All ETDs from UAB

Calreticulin (CRT), classically known for its chaperone functions in the endoplasmic reticulum and as a calcium regulator, also is found on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. It is involved in many cellular processes including signaling, adhesion, migration, apoptotic cell clearance, gene regulation, and production of a fibronectin matrix. CRT has been suggested to play a role in wound healing and fibrosis. Therefore, these studies investigated the role of CRT in collagen production, an important extracellular matrix molecule in wounding and fibrosis. We demonstrated that CRT regulates collagen through transcription, secretion, and processing. We also investigated the role …

Evaluation Of The Knowledge Of Hospital Cleaning Staff About Prevention Of Nosocomial Infections, Tansu Yamazhan, Meltem Işikgöz Taşbakan, Şebnem Çalik, Hüsnü Pullukçu, Oğuz Reşat Si̇pahi̇, Sercan Ulusoy

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Aims: Detection of risk groups and infection sources and awareness of the routes of transmission of infections are important for prevention of hospital infections. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the knowledge level and the behavior models of hospital cleaning staff about nosocomial infections. Materials and Methods: A 21-item questionnaire about nosocomial infections was administered to the hospital cleaning staff. Results: Out of 290 hospital cleaning staff, 240 (82.7%, 122 male, 118 female, aged 36.2±8.7) were included in the study. When evaluated according to their educational status, 55.4% had graduated from primary school. Fifty-four percent of the staff had …

Effective Connectivity Of The Fronto-Parietal Network During Attentional Control, Liang Wang, Xun Liu, Kevin G. Guise, Robert T. Knight, Jamshid Ghajar, Jin Fan

Publications and Research

The ACC, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and the parietal cortex near/along the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) are members of a network subserving attentional control. Our recent study revealed that these regions participate in both response anticipation and conflict processing. However, little is known about the relative contribution of these regions in attentional control and how the dynamic interactions among these regions are modulated by detection of predicted versus unpredicted targets and conflict processing. Here, we examined effective connectivity using dynamic causal modeling among these three regions during a flanker task with or without a target onset cue. We compared various …

Neural Substrates Of Sound–Touch Synesthesia After A Thalamic Lesion, Michael S. Beauchamp, Tony Ro

Publications and Research

Neural plasticity induced by stroke can mediate positive outcomes, such as recovery of function, but can also result in the formation of abnormal connections with negative consequences for perception and cognition. In three experiments using blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined the neural substrates of acquired auditory-tactile synesthesia, in which certain sounds can produce an intense somatosensory tingling sensation in a patient with a thalamic lesion. Compared with nine normal controls, the first experiment showed that the patient had a threefold greater BOLD response to sounds in the parietal operculum, the location of secondary somatosensory cortex. …

Identification And Characterization Of Sigma(S), A Novel Component Of The Staphylococcus Aureus Stress And Virulence Responses, Lindsey N. Shaw, Catharina Lindholm, Tomasz K. Prajsnar, Halie K. Miller, Melanie C. Brown, Ewa Golonka, George C. Stewart, Andrej Tarkowski, Jan Potempa

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

S. aureus is a highly successful pathogen that is speculated to be the most common cause of human disease. The progression of disease in S. aureus is subject to multi-factorial regulation, in response to the environments encountered during growth. This adaptive nature is thought to be central to pathogenesis, and is the result of multiple regulatory mechanisms employed in gene regulation. In this work we describe the existence of a novel S. aureus regulator, an as yet uncharacterized ECF-sigma factor (sigma(S)), that appears to be an important component of the stress and pathogenic responses of this organism. Using biochemical approaches …

Meta-Analysis: Prophylactic Drainage And Bleeding Complications In Thyroid Surgery, Steven A. Kennedy, Robert A. Irvine, Brian D. Westerberg, Hongbin Zhang

Publications and Research

Objective: To conduct a comprehensive systematic review and high-quality meta-analysis to determine whether prophylactic drain placement reduces adverse bleeding events in thyroid surgery.

Data Sources: MEDLINE (OVID and PubMed), CENTRAL, CDSR, ACP Journal Club, DARE, EMBASE, PREMEDUNE, OLDMEDLINE, CINAHL, BIOSIS Previews, LILACS, KOREAMED, SAMED, IndMED, SIGLE, ScienceDirect, and INGENTACONNECT.

Review Methods: Studies for evaluation included all prospective trials assessing the use of drainage in thyroid surgery. We excluded case studies, retrospective studies, reviews, and studies that had a "selective" method of postoperative drainage that was not defined or was based on surgeon preference. Search strategies were broad and …

Genetic Counselling And Testing For Inherited Gene Mutations In Newly Diagnosed Patients With Breast Cancer: A Review Of The Existing Literature And A Proposed Research Agenda, Bettina Meiser, Kathy Tucker, Michael Friedlander, Kristine Barlow-Stewart, Elizabeth Lobb, Christobel Saunders, Gillian Mitchell

Research outputs pre 2011

Many women newly diagnosed with breast cancer and with a strong family history of breast cancer are referred to a family cancer service for genetic counselling and for consideration of genetic testing for germline mutations in cancer predisposition genes following completion of their cancer treatment. However, there is growing evidence that mutation status may influence treatment recommendations, and that there may be benefits in having 'treatment-focused genetic counselling and testing' available shortly after cancer diagnosis. This article reviews the literature that could inform the development of treatment-focused genetic counselling and testing, including: the rationale for genetic testing to aid with …

Argument Structure Effects In Action Verb Naming In Static And Dynamic Conditions, Dirk B. Den Ouden, Steve Fix, Todd B. Parrish, Cynthia K. Thompson

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Argument structure, as in the participant roles entailed within the lexical representation of verbs, affects verb processing. Recent neuroimaging studies show that when verbs are heard or read, the posterior temporoparietal region shows increased activation for verbs with greater versus lesser argument structure complexity, usually bilaterally. In addition, patients with agrammatic aphasia show verb production deficits, graded based on argument structure complexity. In the present study, we used fMRI to examine the neural correlates of verb production in overt action naming conditions. In addition, we tested the differential effects of naming when verbs were presented dynamically in video segments versus …

Short-Term Memory, Working Memory, And Executive Functioning In Preschoolers: Longitudinal Predictors Of Mathematical Achievement At Age 7 Years, Rebecca Bull, Kimberly A. Espy, Sandra A. Wiebe

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory: Faculty Publications

This study examined whether measures of short-term memory, working memory, and executive functioning in preschool children predict later proficiency in academic achievement at 7 years of age (third year of primary school). Children were tested in preschool (M age = 4 years, 6 months) on a battery of cognitive measures, and mathematics and reading outcomes (from standardized, norm-referenced school-based assessments) were taken on entry to primary school, and at the end of the first adn third year of primary school. Growth curve analyses examined predictors of math and reading achievement across the duration of the study and revealed that better …

Factors Contributing To The Biofilm-Deficient Phenotype Of Staphylococcus Aureus Sara Mutants, Laura H. Tsang, James E. Cassat, Lindsey N. Shaw, Karen E. Beenken, Mark S. Smeltzer

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

Mutation of sarA in Staphylococcus aureus results in a reduced capacity to form a biofilm, but the mechanistic basis for this remains unknown. Previous transcriptional profiling experiments identified a number of genes that are differentially expressed both in a biofilm and in a sarA mutant. This included genes involved in acid tolerance and the production of nucleolytic and proteolytic exoenzymes. Based on this we generated mutations in alsSD, nuc and sspA in the S. aureus clinical isolate UAMS-1 and its isogenic sarA mutant and assessed the impact on biofilm formation. Because expression of alsSD was increased in a biofilm but …

The Untapped Power Of "We Don't Know": Epistemological Humility In The Era Of Covid-19

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The neuropeptide Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH(2) (FMRFa) can induce transcription-dependent long-term synaptic depression (LTD) in Aplysia sensorimotor synapses. We investigated the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the regulation of one of its components, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase (ap-uch), in LTD. LTD was sensitive to presynaptic inhibition of the proteasome and was associated with upregulation of ap-uch mRNA and protein. This upregulation appeared to be mediated by CREB2, which is generally regarded as a transcription repressor. Binding of CREB2 to the promoter region of ap-uch was accompanied by histone hyperacetylation, suggesting that CREB2 cannot only inhibit but also promote gene expression. CREB2 was phosphorylated …

Creating Partnerships To Improve Health: An Overview Of Community-Based Participatory Research., Debbie Salas-Lopez Md, Mph

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Variable Judgments Of Decisional Capacity In Cognitively Impaired Research Subjects, Marion B. Patterson, Peter J. Whitehouse

Faculty Scholarship

OBJECTIVES: To compare assessments of the decisional capacity of cognitively impaired patients by research assistants (RAs) and by family caregiver/proxies and to determine whether either or both groups judge capacity differently depending on the specific (hypothetical) research enrollment decision being made. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Three clinics, one each in Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred forty-nine patients with established dementia diagnoses and their caregiver/proxies. MEASUREMENTS: As part of a longer interview, patients were asked about future enrollment in five hypothetical research projects with varying risks and benefits. After patients reported each decision and reasons for that decision, RAs (using …

Suppression Of Implanted Mda-Mb 231 Human Breast Cancer Growth In Nude Mice By Dietary Walnut, W. Elaine Hardman, Gabriela Ion

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Walnuts contain components that may slow cancer growth including omega 3 fatty acids, phytosterols, polyphenols, carotenoids, and melatonin. A pilot study was performed to determine whether consumption of walnuts could affect growth of MDA-MB 231 human breast cancers implanted into nude mice. Tumor cells were injected into nude mice that were consuming an AIN-76A diet slightly modified to contain 10% corn oil. After the tumors reached 3 to 5 mm diameter, the diet of one group of mice was changed to include ground walnuts, equivalent to 56 g (2 oz) per day in humans. The tumor growth rate from Day …

Predictive Measures Of Cognitive Outcome In Adults Sustaining Brain Injury, Herminia De La Rosa-Trujillo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

To date, there is no consistent and accurate outcome prediction method for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Commonly used clinical measures such as the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and traditional radiological methods of x-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans do not always accurately predict patient functional outcome. These radiological methods are adequate in determining gross structural anatomical disturbances, however, they are unable to detect more diffuse cellular damage believed to be responsible for the functional impairments evidenced in patients sustaining TBI. Magnetic resonance imaging allows for various non-invasive sequencing techniques that have demonstrated to be a potentially valuable method …

Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Ppar-Gamma In Surgical Brain Injury (Sbi), Amy Hyong

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Introduction: Brain injury can be caused by neurosurgical procedures themselves, due to direct trauma, retractor stretch, intraoperative hemorrhage and electrocautery damage. As a result of this surgical brain injury (SBI) postoperative complications such as inflammation, brain edema, and cell death can occur in the susceptible brain areas. Cerebral inflammation is a known contributor to the pathophysiology of brain injury. Following brain injury, the release of inflammatory mediators facilitates the development of BBB breakdown, cerebral edema, oxidative stress and neuronal death, resulting in further tissue damage in the brain and poor neurological outcomes. This study evaluates whether the use of a …

Effect Of 3-Electrode Electrical Stimulation On Current Delivery And Healing In Chronic Wounds, Hyejin Suh

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Chronic wounds have been an enormous burden on the healthcare system due to their prevalence and the lack of efficacy of current treatment modalities. Over the years, electrical stimulation (ES) has been widely used in the treatment of wounds. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of this treatment is under scrutiny, since many studies have failed to report successive and/or consistent effects of ES on wound healing. This inconsistency may be due to the uneven current produced by the conventional 2-electrode delivery system (2-channel ES) and the reduced resting blood flow resulting from thermally cool treatment rooms. In this study, a new approach …

A Functional Collagen Adhesin Gene, Acm, In Clinical Isolates Of Enterococcus Faecium Correlates With The Recent Success Of This Emerging Nosocomial Pathogen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Enterococcus faecium recently evolved from a generally avirulent commensal into a multidrug-resistant health care-associated pathogen causing difficult-to-treat infections, but little is known about the factors responsible for this change. We previously showed that some E. faecium strains express a cell wall-anchored collagen adhesin, Acm. Here we analyzed 90 E. faecium isolates (99% acm(+)) and found that the Acm protein was detected predominantly in clinically derived isolates, while the acm gene was present as a transposon-interrupted pseudogene in 12 of 47 isolates of nonclinical origin. A highly significant association between clinical (versus fecal or food) origin and collagen adherence (P

Contribution Of The Collagen Adhesin Acm To Pathogenesis Of Enterococcus Faecium In Experimental Endocarditis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Enterococcus faecium is a multidrug-resistant opportunist causing difficult-to-treat nosocomial infections, including endocarditis, but there are no reports experimentally demonstrating E. faecium virulence determinants. Our previous studies showed that some clinical E. faecium isolates produce a cell wall-anchored collagen adhesin, Acm, and that an isogenic acm deletion mutant of the endocarditis-derived strain TX0082 lost collagen adherence. In this study, we show with a rat endocarditis model that TX0082 Deltaacm::cat is highly attenuated versus wild-type TX0082, both in established (72 h) vegetations (P < 0.0001) and for valve colonization 1 and 3 hours after infection (P or=50-fold reduction relative to an Acm producer) were found in three of these five nonadherent isolates, including the sequenced strain TX0016, by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, indicating that acm transcription is downregulated in vitro in these isolates. However, examination of TX0016 cells obtained directly from infected rat vegetations by flow cytometry showed that Acm was present on 40% of cells grown during infection. Finally, we demonstrated a significant reduction in E. faecium collagen adherence by affinity-purified anti-Acm antibodies from E. faecium endocarditis patient sera, suggesting that Acm may be a potential immunotarget for strategies to control this emerging pathogen.

The Effects Of Host Physiological Conditions On The Expression Of Icsp In Shigella Flexneri, Karen Levy, Helen Wing

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Shigella flexneri is a gram-negative bacterium capable of causing diarrhea and dysentery known as shigellosis. It is estimated there are 167.4 million shigellosis episodes throughout the world each year causing 1.1 million deaths. Shigella invades cells in the lower intestine through an induced phagocytosis. Once in the cytoplasm, bacteria move from one cell to another using actin-based motility. The Shigella outer membrane protease IcsP regulates actin-based motility and cell-to-cell spread by cleaving the actin assembly protein IcsA from the bacterial cell surface. We hypothesize that IcsP may serve additional functions during infection. By examining which environmental signals trigger icsP expression, …

Characterization Of The Omptin Protease, Ompt, In Escherichia Coli, Amanda Yates, Eun-Hae Kim, Helen Wing

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Omptins are outer membrane proteases found in gram negative bacteria that cause diseases in humans, such as pathogenic Escherichia coli, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella typhimurium, and Yersinia pestis. Bacterial species that express omptins cause diseases such as highly fatal plague and severe diarrhea and dysentery. The genes that encode these proteases are ompT, icsP, pgtE, and pla, respectively. These proteases are highly related in structure and share approximately 50% sequence identity. In S. flexneri, IcsP has been shown to cleave a key virulence determinant, IcsA (Egile et al., 1997). IcsA recruits host actin and allows for intracellular movement within host cells …

El Virus De La Diarrea Viral En Bovinos Criollos De La Provincia De Melgar, Puno, Q. Richard Quispe, Ccama Albert S., Hermelinda G. Rivera, Mariluz Araínga

Journal Articles: Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience

The prevalence of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in 347 evaluated was criollo cattle of both sexes and older than 6 months of age in small herds of the province of Melgar, Puno. Serum samples were tested for antibodies against BVDV using the viral neutralization test. The 48.7 ± 0.1% (166/347) of the samples had antibodies against BVDV. Animals carrying on the virus, virus were not detected. Antibodies were detected in all sampled herds and the prevalence varied from 15.7 to 94.1%. Antibodies titers varied from 2 to >256, showing that BVDV infection is widespread in the local cattle …

Pcr-Based Assay Using Occult Blood Detection Cards For Detection Of Diarrheagenic Escherichia Coli In Specimens From Us Travelers To Mexico With Acute Diarrhea, Zhi-Dong Jiang, Pablo C Okhuysen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Large field studies of travelers' diarrhea for multiple destinations are limited by the need to perform stool cultures on site in a timely manner. A method for the collection, transport, and storage of fecal specimens that does not require immediate processing and refrigeration and that is stable for months would be advantageous. This study was designed to determine if enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) DNA could be identified from cards that were processed for the evaluation of fecal occult blood. U.S. students traveling to Mexico during 2005 to 2007 were monitored for the occurrence of diarrheal …