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Disinfection Of Dentin By Intracanal Laser Irradiation: An In Vitro Model, Silvia Cristina Mafra Cecchini

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A possible cause for root canal failure is the persistence of bacteria that have colonized dentinal tubules. To reduce this risk and, if possible, to also shorten the time consuming endodontic therapy, new equipment and materials are constantly being introduced. The aim of the present investigation was to study the effect of disinfection of dentinal tubules by intracanal laser irradiation using an in vitro model. The groups irradiated by various lasers were compared with calcium hydroxide, a material frequently used as intracanal medication between appointments. Freshly extracted, intact bovine incisors were used. The root cementum was removed and the teeth …

Ryanodine Receptor Adaptation, Michael Fill, A. Zahradníková, Carlos A. Villalba-Galea, I. Zahradník, A. L. Escobar, S. Györke

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

In the heart, depolarization during the action potential activates voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels that mediate a small, localized Ca²⁺ influx (I_Ca). This small Ca²⁺ signal activates specialized Ca²⁺ release channels, the ryanodine receptors (RyRs), in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). This process is called Ca²⁺-induced Ca²⁺ release (CICR). Intuitively, the CICR process should be self-regenerating because the Ca²⁺ released from the SR should feedback and activate further SR Ca²⁺ release. However, the CICR process is precisely controlled in the heart and, consequently, some sort of negative control mechanism(s) must exist to …

An Analysis Of Risk Factors Associated With High Rates Of Cesarean Births In Three Selected Northeast Tennessee Hospitals., Karen Stewart-Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study consists of an analysis of hospital discharge data from three Northeast Tennessee hospitals to identify maternal demographic factors that may be linked to higher rates of cesarean sections in this region of Appalachia. Maternal age, race, insurance status, length of stay, and birth weight were evaluated to identify regional trends in the prevalence of these factors over a two-year period.

There were 1,678 (23.3%) singleton live births by cesarean section of which 7.6% were repeat cesarean section deliveries. Less than one percent of the 7,181 births were vaginal births after cesarean (VBAC) delivery. Overall, insurance and maternal age …

Proteolytic Enzymes In The Marine Bacterium Pseudoalteromonas Atlantica: Post-Secretional Activation And Effects Of Environmental Conditions, Monica Hoffman, Alan W. Decho

Faculty Publications

Production and activities of cellular and extracellular proteolytic enzymes associated with the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas atlantica were examined in response to physiological state and changing environmental variables under laboratory conditions. Enzymes evidenced by zymography were metalloproteases, as defined by substrate preference and susceptibility to inhibitors (EDTA and 1, 10-phenanthroline). Distinct bands (i.e. molecular-weight [MW] size classes) of enzymes were isolated from within cellular and extracellular compartments. Susceptibility of extracellular enzymes to environmental stressors was related, in part, to the MW size classes of the enzymes. While all bands of enzymes showed some degree of inhibition when pH was decreased, the …

The Utilization Of Spirituality In Occupational Therapy: Beliefs, Practices, And Barriers, Jennifer S. Collins

Masters Theses

Spirituality has become an increasingly important topic in healthcare and specifically in occupational therapy. Previous studies of spirituality in occupational therapy indicated that while therapists believed spirituality was important to health and rehabilitation potential, few therapists reported incorporating spirituality into treatment (Engquist, Short-DeGraff, Gliner, & Oltjenbruns, 1997; Howe, 1996; Rose, 1999). This study utilized a survey design to examine occupational therapists' current beliefs and practices regarding spirituality, as well as asking therapists to identify barriers to the use of spirituality in treatment.

The results of this study indicate that beliefs and practices regarding spirituality in occupational therapy may be changing. …

Biomedical Research Leaders: Report On Needs, Opportunities, Difficulties, Education And Training, And Evaluation, Samuel H. Wilson, Deborah Brown, Jay Moskowitz, Dan Hurley, David Brown, David Brown, Byron J. Bailey, Michael Mcclain, Marilyn Misenhimer, Judith Buckalew, Thomas Burks

Faculty Publications

The National Association of Physicians for the Environment (NAPE) has assumed a leadership role in protecting environmental health in recent years. The Committee of Biomedical Research Leaders was convened at the recent NAPE Leadership Conference: Biomedical Research and the Environment held on 1–2 November 1999, at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. This report summarizes the discussion of the committee and its recommendations. The charge to the committee was to raise and address issues that will promote and sustain environmental health, safety, and energy efficiency within the biomedical community. Leaders from every important research sector (industry laboratories, academic health …

Risk Factors And Gender Differentials For Death Among Children Hospitalized With Diarrhoea In Bangladesh, Amal K. Mitra, Mohammad M. Rahman, George J. Fuchs

Faculty Publications

To identify risk factors for death among children with diarrhoea, a cohort of 496 children, aged less than 5 years, admitted to the intensive care unit of a diarrhoeal disease hospital in Bangladesh, was studied during November 1992-June 1994, Clinical and laboratory records of children who died and of those who recovered in the hospital were compared, Deaths were significantly higher among those who had altered consciousness, hypoglycaemia, septicaemia, paralytic ileus, toxic colitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, haemolytic-uraemic syndrome, invasive or persistent diarrhoea, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and malnutrition, Females experienced a 2-fold higher risk of death than males (p=0.003). Several indices of …

Vaccinia Virus-Mediated Glioma Gene Therapy Using P53, Il-2 And Il-12, Bing Chen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Malignant brain tumors are generally lethal soon after their diagnosis, and the five-year survival rate for the patient is low in spite of neurosurgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy. Gene therapy has the potential to improve patient survival and quality of life by delivering specific combinations of therapeutic genes directly to the tumor for localized treatment.

We have based our cancer gene therapy for glioma on a highly attenuated variant of the Lister strain of vaccinia virus (VV) which has been proven to be a safe and effective vaccine vector. Other advantages include a wide host range, a strong promoter system, …

Chronic Hypoxia, Exercise Training, And Skeletal Muscle Capillarity: Angiogenic Regulation And Morphological Consequences, Ivan Mark Olfert

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Angiogenesis is important in health and disease. In particular, exercise training is known to increase skeletal muscle capillarity, providing there is sufficient training intensity. The stimulus for this may be intracellular hypoxia activating angiogenic growth factor gene expression. Acute hypoxia alone has been shown to increase the gene expression of several key angiogenic regulators, e.g. vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and to a lesser degree transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), an endogenous negative angiogenic regulator. Paradoxically, however, chronic hypoxia is generally not found to increase mammalian skeletal muscle capillarity. Accordingly, we hypothesized that …

Studies On The Purification And Role Of Igfbp-5 Protease In Bone, H. Garrett Rush Thompson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone density and deterioration of mineralized bone leading to enhanced susceptibility to fracture. Several growth factors have been implicated in the coupling of formation to resorption during the bone remodeling process. The net bone forming activity of many growth factors has prompted numerous studies focused on the regulation of osteoblast cell proliferation, differentiation and activity. The current study focuses on the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system, an important growth factor system involved in the regulation of bone formation and bone resorption.

IGF binding protein -5 (IGFBP-5), the most abundant IGF binding protein in …

The Effects Of Psychotropic Medication Therapy On The Behaviors Of The Institutionalized Alzheimer's Disease Patient, Mary Beth Mckinneu

MSN Research Projects

Alzheimer's disease is a devastating illness that is common among the nursing home population. Treatment for Alzheimer's disease is usually palliative and consists of using psychotropic medications to control aggressive and agitated behaviors exhibited by its victims. The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify behaviors exhibited by Alzheimer's disease patients before and after receiving psychotropic medications. Johnson's Behavioral System Model was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The sample (N = 33) consisted of nursing home residents with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease who were treated with one psychotropic medication. The researcher used chart review to …

Technology Evaluation: Pro-542, Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc., Muhammad Mukhtar, Zahida Parveen, Roger J Pomerantz

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Progenics's rCD4-IgG2 (PRO-542) is a recombinant fusion protein, which has been developed using the company's Universal Antiviral Binding (UnAB) technology, and is in phase I/II clinical trials for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) infection [273391]. At the beginning of 1997, Progenics received a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious diseases (NIAID) to fund the development of PRO-542 [236048]. A further grant of $2.7 million was awarded in August 1998 for the clinical evaluation of PRO-542 and other anti-HIV therapies [294200]. Progenics is collaborating with the …

Microbial Biofilms: From Ecology To Molecular Genetics, Mary Ellen Davey, George A. O'Toole

Dartmouth Scholarship

Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms attached to surfaces or associated with interfaces. Despite the focus of modern microbiology research on pure culture, planktonic (free-swimming) bacteria, it is now widely recognized that most bacteria found in natural, clinical, and industrial settings persist in association with surfaces. Furthermore, these microbial communities are often composed of multiple species that interact with each other and their environment. The determination of biofilm architecture, particularly the spatial arrangement of microcolonies (clusters of cells) relative to one another, has profound implications for the function of these complex communities. Numerous new experimental approaches and methodologies have been …

Retinoblastoma Tells The Story Of Our Health Care System, Irshad Soomro, Muhammad Nadeem Khan, Suhail Muzaffar, Naila Kayani, Shahid Pervez, Akbar Shah Hussainy, Rashida Ahmed, Sheema H. Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective:

To review cases of retinoblastoma.

Setting:

Department of Pathology Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi.

Method:

Twenty three specimens from cases of retinoblastoma received over a period of eight years were routinely processes and stained with haematoxylin and Eosin stain Other stains were used for tuberculosis and melanin. Immunochemistry was resorted to in undifferentiated tumors.

Results:

Over 60% cases of retinoblastoma were diagnosed after 5 years and nine cases showed involvement of opti-nerve.

Conclusion:

Late diagnosis of retinoblastoma effects the stage of the tumors and the prognisis.

Hybridization Of Dna By Sequential Immobilization Of Oligonucleotides At The Air-Water Interface, Murali Sastry, Vidya Ramakrishnan, Mrunalini Pattarkine, Anand Gole, K. N. Ganesh

Faculty Works

The hybridization of DNA by sequential electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding immobilization of single-stranded complementary oligonucleotides at the air-water interface with cationic Langmuir monolayers is demonstrated. The complexation of the single-stranded DNA molecules with octadecylamine (ODA) Langmuir monolayers was followed in time by monitoring the pressure-area isotherms. A large (and slow) expansion of the ODA monolayer was observed during each stage of complexation in the following sequence: primary single-stranded DNA followed by complementary single-stranded DNA followed by the intercalator, ethidium bromide. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of the ODA-DNA complex were formed on different substrates and characterized using quartz-crystal microgravimetry (QCM), Fourier transform infrared …

Combined Antagonist Compositions, Scott R. Hamann

Anesthesiology Faculty Patents

Novel compositions of a combination of nicotinic, opioid, serotonergic and/or adrenergic antagonists in combination with nicotinic and opioid agonists, anti-depressants, stimulants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and local anesthetics, such combinations being useful in the treatment of excitable system disorders, pain and psychiatric disorders, and methods of use thereof.

Long-Term Regulation Of Neuronal High-Affinity Glutamate And Glutamine Uptake In Aplysia, J Levenson, S Endo, L S. Kategaya, R I. Fernandez, D G. Brabham, J Chin, J H. Byrne, A Eskin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

An increase in transmitter release accompanying long-term sensitization and facilitation occurs at the glutamatergic sensorimotor synapse of Aplysia. We report that a long-term increase in neuronal Glu uptake also accompanies long-term sensitization. Synaptosomes from pleural-pedal ganglia exhibited sodium-dependent, high-affinity Glu transport. Different treatments that induce long-term enhancement of the siphon-withdrawal reflex, or long-term synaptic facilitation increased Glu uptake. Moreover, 5-hydroxytryptamine, a treatment that induces long-term facilitation, also produced a long-term increase in Glu uptake in cultures of sensory neurons. The mechanism for the increase in uptake is an increase in the V(max) of transport. The long-term increase in Glu uptake …

Cytoplasmic Filament-Deficient Mutant Of Treponema Denticola Has Pleiotropic Defects, Jacques Izard, William A. Samsonoff, Ronald J. Limberger

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

In Treponema denticola, a ribbon-like structure of cytoplasmic filaments spans the cytoplasm at all stages of the cell division process. Insertional inactivation was used as a first step to determine the function of the cytoplasmic filaments. A suicide plasmid was constructed that contained part of cfpA and a nonpolar erythromycin resistance cassette (ermF and ermAM) inserted near the beginning of the gene. The plasmid was electroporated into T. denticola, and double-crossover recombinants which had the chromosomal copy of cfpA insertionally inactivated were selected. Immunoblotting and electron microscopy confirmed the lack of cytoplasmic filaments. The mutant was further …

Information Interface - Volume 28, Issue 5 - November/December 2000, George Washington University, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Information Interface (1976 - 2009)

News and information about Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library of interest to users.

Lack Of Cd4+ T Cells Does Not Affect Induction Of Cd8+ T-Cell Immunity Against Encephalitozoon Cuniculi Infection, Magali Moretto, Lori Casciotti, Brigit Durell, Imtiaz A. Khan

Dartmouth Scholarship

Cell-mediated immunity has been reported to play an important role in defense against Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection. Previous studies from our laboratory have underlined the importance of cytotoxic CD8⁺ T lymphocytes (CTL) in survival of mice infected with E. cuniculi. In the present study, immune response against E. cuniculi infection in CD4⁺T-cell-deficient mice was evaluated. Similar to resistant wild-type animals, CD4^−/− mice were able to resolve E. cuniculi infection even at a very high challenge dose (5 × 10⁷ spores/mouse). Tissues from infected CD4^−/−mice did not exhibit higher parasite loads in comparison to …

Amino Acid Osmolytes In Regulatory Volume Decrease And Isovolumetric Regulation In Brain Cells: Contribution And Mechanisms, Herminia Pasantes-Morales, Rodrigo Franco, M. Eugenia Torres-Marquez, Karla Hernandez-Fonseca, Arturo Ortega

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Brain adaptation to hyposmolarity is accomplished by loss of both electrolytes and organic osmolytes, including amino acids, polyalcohols and methylamines. In brain in vivo, the organic osmolytes account for about 35% of the total solute loss. This review focus on the role of amino acids in cell volume regulation, in conditions of sudden hyposmosis, when cells respond by active regulatory volume decrease (RVD) or after gradual exposure to hyposmotic solutions, a condition where cell volume remains unchanged, named isovolumetric regulation (IVR). The amino acid efflux pathway during RVD is passive and is similar in many respects to the volume-activated anion …

Method And Apparatus For Adaptive Filtering By Counting Acoustic Sample Zeroes In Ultrasound Imaging, Gregory R. Bashford, Edward D. Nonnweiler, David D. Becker, David John Muzilla

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

An ultrasound imaging system having an adaptive spatial filter the filter coefficients of which, for particular image parameter sample, are determined by counting the number of neighboring image parameter samples having zero or near-zero values. If the number of zero or near-zero values in a data window is greater than a predetermined threshold, the data in the window is passed, not filtered. This filter has two advantages over other spatial filters. First, image parameter data samples having only zero or near-zero neighboring values (i.e., isolated "point noise") are not smeared. Second, boundaries such as the edge of color in a …

Clinical, Pathological And Antigenic Aspects Of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (Bvdv) Type 2 Isolates Identified In Brazil, E. F. Flores, L. H. G. V. Gil, S. A. Botton, R. Weiblen, J. F. Ridpath, L. C. Kreutz, C. Pilati, D. Driemeyer, V. Moojen, A. C. Wendelstein

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of Brazilian bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) field isolates identified four viruses belonging to the genotype 2. Comparison of 5’ UTR sequences from these isolates to those of North American BVDV type 2 revealed genomic variations that correlated with the geographic origins of the isolates. Two of the Brazilian type 2 viruses were isolated from clinical cases of gastroenteric/respiratory disease and two were isolated from healthy bovine fetuses. The clinical cases affected young animals (8- and 18-months-old) and were characterized by diarrhea, respiratory signs, extensive oral and digestive tract erosions, conjunctival and vulvar congestion, occasional …

Yale Nursing Matters Fall 2000 Volume 2 Number 1, Yale University School Of Nursing

Yale School of Nursing Alumni Newsletters and Magazines

Please contact the Medical Historical Library if you need a higher resolution version.

Relative Volume Of The Cerebellum In Dolphins And Comparison With Anthropoid Primates, L. Marino, James K. Rilling, Shinko K. Lin, Sam H. Ridgway

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

According to the ‘developmental constraint hypothesis’ of comparative mammalian neuroanatomy, brain growth follows predictable allometric trends. Therefore, brain structures should scale to the entire brain in the same way across mammals. Evidence for a departure from this pattern for cerebellum volume has recently been reported among the anthropoid primates. One of the mammalian groups that has been neglected in tests of the ‘developmental constraint hypothesis’ is the cetaceans (dolphins, whales, and porpoises). Because many cetaceans possess relative brain sizes in the range of primates comparative tests of the ‘developmental constraint hypothesis’ across these two groups could help to delineate the …

Immunologic Effects Of Gliotoxin In Rats: Mechanisms For Prevention Of Autoimmune Diabetes Mellitus, Honggang Liu, Susan H. Jackman, Henry Driscoll, Bryan Larsen

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Various fungal products, such as gliotoxin (GT), have immunomodulating activity, a fact exploited previously by our group for prevention of autoimmune diabetes mellitus in BB/Wor rats. To understand better the immunologic effects in GT-treated rats, splenocytes from 65-day-old prediabetic diabetes-prone rats were phenotypically characterized after chronic treatment with GT. A parallel study examined the direct effects of GT on splenocyte preparations incubated with the mycotoxin. In vitro treatment of splenocytes with GT revealed relative decreases in CD4+ and increases in CD8+ T-cell subsets, whereas in vivo treatment with GT did not result in detectable alterations in relative CD4+ and CD8+ …

Vital Signs, Fall 2000, Boonshoft School Of Medicine

Vital Signs

A twenty four page newsletter created by the Boonshoft School of Medicine to document the current affairs of the school. This issue includes a variety of feature articles, alumni profiles, class notes, and more.

Chironian Fall/Winter 2000, New York Medical College

The Chironian

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Health Promoting Behaviors In Older Adults, Kay Wallace

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between Health Locus of Control, selected demographic variables, and the Health Promoting Behaviors of Physical Activity and Nutrition in older persons. Pender’s (1996) Health Promotion Model (HPM) was used as the conceptual framework to guide this study.

The sample consisted of 48 subjects, aged 65 years and older, who resided in senior living centers. The subjects were predominantly Caucasian (94%) and female (81%). Research instruments were self-administered questionnaires that consisted of demographic data, the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale.

No significant relationships between …

Genomic Structure Of Murine Mitochondrial Dna Polymerase-Gamma., Justin L. Mott, Grace Denniger, Steve J. Zullo, H. Peter Zassenhaus

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

We have sequenced a genomic clone of the gene encoding the mouse mitochondrial DNA polymerase. The gene consists of 23 exons, which span approximately 13.2 kb, with exons ranging in size from 53 to 768 bp. All intron-exon boundaries conform to the GT-AG rule. By comparison with the human genomic sequence, we found remarkable conservation of the gene structure; the intron-exon borders are in almost identical locations for the 22 introns. The 5' upstream region contains approximately 300 bp of homology between the mouse and human sequences that presumably contain the promoter element. This region lacks any obvious TATA domain …