Digital Commons Network^™

In Silico Whole Genome Association Scan For Murine Prepulse Inhibition, Bradley Todd Webb, Joseph L. Mcclay, Cristina Vargas-Irwin, Timothy P. York, Edwin J. C. G. Van Den Oord

Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine Publications

Background

The complex trait of prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a sensory gating measure related to schizophrenia and can be measured in mice. Large-scale public repositories of inbred mouse strain genotypes and phenotypes such as PPI can be used to detect Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) in silico. However, the method has been criticized for issues including insufficient number of strains, not controlling for false discoveries, the complex haplotype structure of inbred mice, and failing to account for genotypic and phenotypic subgroups.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We have implemented a method that addresses these issues by incorporating phylogenetic analyses, multilevel regression with mixed …

Dental Anatomy Carving Computer-Assisted Instruction Program: An Assessment Of Student Performance And Perceptions, Elizabeth T. Nance, Sharon K. Lanning, John C. Gunsolley

Periodontics Publications

The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of students exposed to two different instructional modalities for dental anatomy wax carving: CAI (computer-assisted instruction) using DVD technology, or traditional laboratory instruction. Students’ self-assessment scores were also compared to faculty scores, and students’ perceptions of their teaching modality were analyzed. Seventy-three first-year dental students (response rate 81 percent) participated in this randomized single blind trial, in which faculty graders were blinded to student group assignment. There were no statistical differences, as determined by the Wilcoxon non-parametric test and a t-test, between the faculty grades on the wax carving from …

Multiple Splice Defects In Abca1 Cause Low Hdl-C In A Family With Hypoalphalipoproteinemia And Premature Coronary Disease, Jeffrey Rhyne, Myrna M. Mantaring, David F. Gardner, Michael Miller

Internal Medicine Publications

Background Mutations at splice junctions causing exon skipping are uncommon compared to exonic mutations, and two intronic mutations causing an aberrant phenotype have rarely been reported. Despite the high number of functional ABCA1 mutations reported to date, splice variants have been reported infrequently. We screened DNA from a 41 year-old male with low HDL-C (12 mg/dL [0.31 mmol/L]) and a family history of premature coronary heart disease (CHD) using polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis.

Methods Family members with low levels of HDL-C (n = 6) were screened by SSCP for mutations in ABCA1. Samples with altered SSCP …

Estrogen Exposure, Obesity And Thyroid Disease In Women With Severe Pulmonary Hypertension, Lori Sweeney, Norbert F. Voelkel

Internal Medicine Publications

Severe pulmonary hypertension is a lethal group of disorders which preferentially afflicts women. It appears that in recent years the patient profile has shifted towards older, obese, and postmenopausal women, suggesting that endocrine factors may be important. Several studies have revealed an increased prevalence of thyroid disease in these patients, but no studies have evaluated for a coexistence of endocrine factors. In particular, no studies have attempted to evaluate for concurrent thyroid disease, obesity and long-term estrogen exposure in patients.

88 patients attending the Pulmonary Hypertension Association 8th International meeting completed a questionnaire and were interviewed. Information was collected regarding …

Peginterferon Alfa-2b Or Alfa-2a With Ribavirin For Treatment Of Hepatitis C Infection, John G. Mchutchison, Eric J. Lawitz, Mitchell L. Shiffman, Andrew J. Muir, Greg W. Galler, Jonathan Mccone, Lisa M. Nyberg, William M. Lee, Reem H. Ghalib, Eugene R. Schiff, Joseph S. Galati M.D., Bruce R. Bacon, Mitchell N. Davis, Pabak Mukhopadhyay, Kenneth Koury, Stephanie Noviello, Lisa D. Pedicone, Clifford A. Bass, Janice K. Albrecht, Mark S. Sulkowski

Internal Medicine Publications

Background

Treatment guidelines recommend the use of peginterferon alfa-2b or peginterferon alfa-2a in combination with ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, these regimens have not been adequately compared.

Methods

At 118 sites, patients who had HCV genotype 1 infection and who had not previously been treated were randomly assigned to undergo 48 weeks of treatment with one of three regimens: peginterferon alfa-2b at a standard dose of 1.5 μg per kilogram of body weight per week or a low dose of 1.0 μg per kilogram per week, plus ribavirin at a dose of 800 to 1400 mg …

The Importance Of Saccular Function To Motor Development In Children With Hearing Impairments, Mary S. Shall

Physical Therapy Publications

Children with hearing deficits frequently have delayed motor development. The purpose of this study was to evaluate saccular function in children with hearing impairments using the Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP). The impact of the saccular hypofunction on the timely maturation of normal balance strategies was examined using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Movement ABC). Thirty-three children with bilateral severe/profound hearing impairment between 4 and 7 years of age were recruited from a three-state area. Approximately half of the sample had one or bilateral cochlear implants, one used bilateral hearing aids, and the rest used no amplification. Parents reported …

A Hierarchical Method Based On Active Shape Models And Directed Hough Transform For Segmentation Of Noisy Biomedical Images; Application In Segmentation Of Pelvic X-Ray Images, Rebecca Smith, Kayvan Najarian, Kevin R. Ward

Computer Science Publications

Background

Traumatic pelvic injuries are often associated with severe, life-threatening hemorrhage, and immediate medical treatment is therefore vital. However, patient prognosis depends heavily on the type, location and severity of the bone fracture, and the complexity of the pelvic structure presents diagnostic challenges. Automated fracture detection from initial patient X-ray images can assist physicians in rapid diagnosis and treatment, and a first and crucial step of such a method is to segment key bone structures within the pelvis; these structures can then be analyzed for specific fracture characteristics. Active Shape Model has been applied for this task in other bone …

Unified Wavelet And Gaussian Filtering For Segmentation Of Ct Images; Application In Segmentation Of Bone In Pelvic Ct Images, Simina Vasilache, Kevin R. Ward, Charles Cockrell, Jonathan Ha, Kayvan Najarian

Computer Science Publications

Background

The analysis of pelvic CT scans is a crucial step for detecting and assessing the severity of Traumatic Pelvic Injuries. Automating the processing of pelvic CT scans could impact decision accuracy, decrease the time for decision making, and reduce health care cost. This paper discusses a method to automate the segmentation of bone from pelvic CT images. Accurate segmentation of bone is very important for developing an automated assisted-decision support system for Traumatic Pelvic Injury diagnosis and treatment.

Methods

The automated method for pelvic CT bone segmentation is a hierarchical approach that combines filtering and histogram equalization, for image …

Brain Mapping And Detection Of Functional Patterns In Fmri Using Wavelet Transform; Application In Detection Of Dyslexia, Soo-Yeon Ji, Kevin R. Ward, Kayvan Najarian

Computer Science Publications

Background

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has been proven to be useful for studying brain functions. However, due to the existence of noise and distortion, mapping between the fMRI signal and the actual neural activity is difficult. Because of the difficulty, differential pattern analysis of fMRI brain images for healthy and diseased cases is regarded as an important research topic. From fMRI scans, increased blood ows can be identified as activated brain regions. Also, based on the multi-sliced images of the volume data, fMRI provides the functional information for detecting and analyzing different parts of the brain.

Methods

In this …

Automated Ventricular Systems Segmentation In Brain Ct Images By Combining Low-Level Segmentation And High-Level Template Matching, Wenan Chen, Rebecca Smith, Soo-Yeon Ji, Kevin R. Ward, Kayvan Najarian

Computer Science Publications

Background

Accurate analysis of CT brain scans is vital for diagnosis and treatment of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). Automatic processing of these CT brain scans could speed up the decision making process, lower the cost of healthcare, and reduce the chance of human error. In this paper, we focus on automatic processing of CT brain images to segment and identify the ventricular systems. The segmentation of ventricles provides quantitative measures on the changes of ventricles in the brain that form vital diagnosis information.

Methods

First all CT slices are aligned by detecting the ideal midlines in all images. The initial …

Chaotic Signatures Of Heart Rate Variability And Its Power Spectrum In Health, Aging And Heart Failure, Guo-Qiang Wu, Natalia M. Arzeno, Lin-Lin Shen, Da-Kan Tang, Da-An Zheng, Nai-Qing Zhao, Dwain L. Eckberg, Chi-Sang Poon

VCU Health Publications

A paradox regarding the classic power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is whether the characteristic high- (HF) and low-frequency (LF) spectral peaks represent stochastic or chaotic phenomena. Resolution of this fundamental issue is key to unraveling the mechanisms of HRV, which is critical to its proper use as a noninvasive marker for cardiac mortality risk assessment and stratification in congestive heart failure (CHF) and other cardiac dysfunctions. However, conventional techniques of nonlinear time series analysis generally lack sufficient sensitivity, specificity and robustness to discriminate chaos from random noise, much less quantify the chaos level. Here, we apply a …

Virginia Commonwealth University Commencement Program [2009], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Blanche Dubois Geriatrics, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

While the numbers of older adults are growing and the leading edge of the Baby Boom is in its 60s, aging-related education, service, and practice are far from burgeoning. We look forward to continuing Virginia's Geriatric Training and Education program, which produces geriatrically or gerontologically trained physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, recreators, and social workers.

My Passage To India, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Different cultures select different "colors" from the curriculum palette in painting the experience of aging as they see it. Aging is a construct, experienced amid and influenced by the norms, limitations, expectations, and horizons around us.

Sold A Bill Of Goods, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

With regard to Boomers, elders, and all of us growing older, we have been sold a bill of goods in America. Rather than independence, assisted autonomy is a means to empowerment and inclusion. Additionally, as we grow older, we grow less like our age mates, and dissimilarity and heterogeneity increases.

Awaken The Sleeping Giant, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

In order to maintain our commitment to quality, we in the Aging Network need to invest in the future despite the monetary problems of the present. In Virginia, older Virginians are a remarkable resource for our future.

Virginia's Money Follows The Person Demonstration, Jason A. Rachel, Karen Lawson

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe Virginia's Money Follows the Person Demonstration project, including the new services available to individuals through Virginia's Medicaid-funded home and community-based waiver program.

2. Explain how Virginia's Money Follows the Person Demonstration project, being administered by the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), would assist an individual in transitioning from a long-term care facility to the community.

3. Illustrate how someone might experience the MFP processes from pre-transition through post-transition.

The Older Inmate, Tara Livengood

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Present a general overview of elderly inmates, including statistics, characteristics, crimes, mental and medical illnesses, and disabilities.

2. Describe Virginia’s only geriatric correctional facility.

3. Explain the practice of release planning, focusing especially on geriatric release.

Sleep And Sleep Disorders In Later Life, Robert D. Vorona

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe basic changes in sleep that occur as we age.

2. Review several important sleep disorders common in later life

3. Discuss treatment modalities for these sleep disorders and potential benefits of therapy.

Activity Engagement For Persons With Dementia, Barbara Braddock, Ellen Phipps

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe a successful approach to activity engagement for persons with dementia.

2. Review three cognitive interventions useful for activity engagement for persons with dementia.

3. Discuss applications of this approach using university students in home visits.

Electronic Health, Hui Chen, Arnauld Nicogossian, Silas Olsson, Azhar Rafiq, Max E. Stachura, Mamoru Watanabe, Pamela Whitten, Yang Xiao

Human Simulation and Patient Safety Publications

This article has no abstract.

Apoptotic Engulfment Pathway And Schizophrenia, Xiangning Chen, Cuie Sun, Qi Chen, F. Anthony O'Neill, Dermot Walsh, Ayman H. Fanous, Kodavali V. Chowdari, Vishwajit L. Nimgaonkar, Adrian Scott, Sibylle G. Schwab, Dieter B. Wildenauer, Ronglin Che, Wei Tang, Yongyong Shi, Lin He, Xiong-Jian Luo, Bing Su, Todd L. Edwards, Zhongming Zhao, Kenneth S. Kendler

Human and Molecular Genetics Publications

Background

Apoptosis has been speculated to be involved in schizophrenia. In a previously study, we reported the association of the MEGF10 gene with the disease. In this study, we followed the apoptotic engulfment pathway involving the MEGF10, GULP1, ABCA1 and ABCA7 genes and tested their association with the disease.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Ten, eleven and five SNPs were genotyped in the GULP1, ABCA1 and ABCA7 genes respectively for the ISHDSF and ICCSS samples. In all 3 genes, we observed nominally significant associations. Rs2004888 at GULP1 was significant in both ISHDSF and ICCSS samples (p = 0.0083 and …

The Servant Leader: A Higher Calling For Dental Professionals, Fred Certosimo

General Practice Publications

The dental profession is guided by normative principles that provide guidance to our leaders and practicing dentists in addressing the needs of patients and the profession, yet there is room for incorporating new ideas that help dental professionals meet their professional obligations. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the concept of “servant leadership,” especially in contrast with “self-serving leaders,” and to suggest that servant leadership is consistent with the high ethical and professional ideals of the dental profession. The servant leader is the antithesis of the self-serving leader, who incessantly seeks more power and acquisition of material possessions. …

Staphylococcus Aureus Immunodominant Surface Antigen B Is A Cell-Surface Associated Nucleic Acid Binding Protein, Nicole M. Mackey-Lawrence, Denise E. Potter, Nuno Cerca, Kimberly K. Jefferson

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Background

Staphylococcus aureus immunodominant surface antigen B (IsaB) elicits an immune response during septicemia and is generally classified as a virulence factor, but its biological function remains completely undefined. In an attempt to identify staphylococcal RNA-binding proteins, we designed an RNA Affinity Chromatography assay and subsequently isolated IsaB.

Results

Western analysis indicated that IsaB was both secreted and cell-surface associated. Gel Shift analysis confirmed the RNA binding activity but revealed that IsaB bound to any nucleic acid without sequence specificity. IsaB exhibited the highest affinity for double-stranded DNA followed by single-stranded DNA and RNA. Because extracellular DNA has been shown …

Human T Cells Express Cd25 And Foxp3 Upon Activation And Exhibit Effector/Memory Phenotypes Without Any Regulatory/Suppressor Function, Maciej Kmieciak, Madhu Gowda, Laura Graham, Kamar Godder, Harry D. Bear, Francesco M. Marincola, Masoud H. Manjili

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Background Foxp3 has been suggested to be a standard marker for murine Tregs whereas its role as marker for human Tregs is controversial. While some reports have shown that human Foxp3+ T cells had no regulatory function others have shown their role in the inhibition of T cell proliferation.

Methods T cell activation was performed by means of brayostatin-1/ionomycin (B/I), mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), and CD3/CD28 activation. T cell proliferation was performed using BrdU and CFSE staining. Flow cytometry was performed to determine Foxp3 expression, cell proliferation, viabilities and phenotype analyses of T cells.

Results Both CD4+ and CD8+ T …

Diagnosis Of Infections Caused By Pathogenic Free-Living Amoebae, Bruno Da Rocha-Azevedo, Herbert B. Tanowitz, Francine Marciano-Cabral

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, and Sappinia sp. are pathogenic free-living amoebae. N. fowleri causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis, a rapidly fatal disease of the central nervous system, whileAcanthamoeba spp. and B. mandrillaris cause chronic granulomatous encephalitis.Acanthamoeba spp. also can cause cutaneous lesions and Amoebic Keratitis, a sight-threatening infection of the cornea that is associated with contact lens use or corneal trauma. Sappinia pedata has been identified as the cause of a nonlethal case of amoebic encephalitis. In view of the potential health consequences due to infection with these amoebae, rapid diagnosis is critical for early treatment. Microscopic examination and …

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin Courses [2009], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Listing of undergraduate courses for 2009-2010.

Building An Immune-Mediated Coagulopathy Consensus: Early Recognition And Evaluation To Enhance Post-Surgical Patient Safety, Paul Ness, Michael Creer, George M. Rodgers, Joseph J. Naoum, Kenneth Renkens, Stacy A. Voils, W. Allan Alexander

Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science Publications

Topical hemostats, fibrin sealants, and surgical adhesives are regularly used in a variety of surgical procedures involving multiple disciplines. Generally, these adjuncts to surgical hemostasis are valuable means for improving wound visualization, reducing blood loss or adding tissue adherence; however, some of these agents are responsible for under-recognized adverse reactions and outcomes. Bovine thrombin, for example, is a topical hemostat with a long history of clinical application that is widely used alone or in combination with other hemostatic agents. Hematologists and coagulation experts are aware that these agents can lead to development of an immune-mediated coagulopathy (IMC). A paucity of …

Virginia Commonwealth University Fall Commencement Program [2009], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

New Genomic Structure For Prostate Cancer Specific Gene Pca3 Within Bmcc1: Implications For Prostate Cancer Detection And Progression, Raymond A. Clarke, Zhongming Zhao, An-Yuan Guo, Kathrein Roper, Linda Teng, Zhi-Ming Fang, Hema Samaratunga, Martin F. Lavin, Robert A. Gardiner

Psychiatry Publications

Background

The prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3/DD3) gene is a highly specific biomarker upregulated in prostate cancer (PCa). In order to understand the importance of PCA3 in PCa we investigated the organization and evolution of the PCA3 gene locus.

Methods/Principal Findings

We have employed cDNA synthesis, RTPCR and DNA sequencing to identify 4 new transcription start sites, 4 polyadenylation sites and 2 new differentially spliced exons in an extended form of PCA3. Primers designed from these novel PCA3 exons greatly improve RT-PCR based discrimination between PCa, PCa metastases and BPH specimens. Comparative genomic analyses demonstrated that PCA3 has …