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Possible Role Of Death Receptor-Mediated Apoptosis By The E3 Ubiquitin Ligases Siah2 And Posh, Perry A. Christian, Michael V. Fiandalo, Steven R. Schwarze May 2011

Possible Role Of Death Receptor-Mediated Apoptosis By The E3 Ubiquitin Ligases Siah2 And Posh, Perry A. Christian, Michael V. Fiandalo, Steven R. Schwarze

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: A functioning ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is essential for a number of diverse cellular processes and maintenance of overall cellular homeostasis. The ability of proteasome inhibitors, such as Velcade, to promote extrinsic apoptotic effects illustrates the importance of the ubiquitin proteasome system in the regulation of death receptor signaling. Here, we set out to define the UPS machinery, particularly the E3 ubiquitin ligases, that repress apoptosis through the extrinsic pathway. A cell-based genome-wide E3 ligase siRNA screen was established to monitor caspase-8 activity following the addition of TRAIL.

RESULTS: Data from the high-throughput screen revealed that targeting the RING-finger …


Septin Filaments Exhibit A Dynamic, Paired Organization That Is Conserved From Yeast To Mammals, Bradley S. Demay, Xiaobo Bai, Louisa Howard, Patricia Occhipinti, Rebecca A. Meseroll, Elias T. Spiliotis, Rudolf Oldenbourg, Amy S. Gladfelter May 2011

Septin Filaments Exhibit A Dynamic, Paired Organization That Is Conserved From Yeast To Mammals, Bradley S. Demay, Xiaobo Bai, Louisa Howard, Patricia Occhipinti, Rebecca A. Meseroll, Elias T. Spiliotis, Rudolf Oldenbourg, Amy S. Gladfelter

Dartmouth Scholarship

The septins are conserved, GTP-binding proteins important for cytokinesis, membrane compartmentalization, and exocytosis. However, it is unknown how septins are arranged within higher-order structures in cells. To determine the organization of septins in live cells, we developed a polarized fluorescence microscopy system to monitor the orientation of GFP dipole moments with high spatial and temporal resolution. When GFP was fused to septins, the arrangement of GFP dipoles reflected the underlying septin organization. We demonstrated in a filamentous fungus, a budding yeast, and a mammalian epithelial cell line that septin proteins were organized in an identical highly ordered fashion. Fluorescence anisotropy …


Thomas Dent Mütter: The Humble Narrative Of A Surgeon, Teacher, And Curious Collector., Jennifer A. Baker, B.S., Charles J. Yeo, Md, Pinckney J. Maxwell, Iv, Md May 2011

Thomas Dent Mütter: The Humble Narrative Of A Surgeon, Teacher, And Curious Collector., Jennifer A. Baker, B.S., Charles J. Yeo, Md, Pinckney J. Maxwell, Iv, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Thomas Dent Mutter, a beloved teacher, respected colleague, devoted husband, surgical pioneer, and legendary collector, emerged from a tragic childhood as an ambitious young physician who would leave a permanent imprint on medical education (Fig. 1). Dr. Mutter is best known in the Philadelphia area for the museum of medical curiosities, which bears his name. Overflowing with various medical memorabilia, anatomical and pathological specimens, casts, models, watercolors, and historical instruments, the Mutter Museum often overshadows the numerous other contributions Dr. Mutter made during his shortened life.1 A quote from Henry Brooks Adams is quite apropos, ‘‘A teacher affects eternity; he …


A Phase I/Iia Clinical Trial Of A Recombinant Rho Protein Antagonist In Acute Spinal Cord Injury., Michael G Fehlings, Nicholas Theodore, James Harrop, Gilles Maurais, Charles Kuntz, Chris I Shaffrey, Brian K Kwon, Jens Chapman, Albert Yee, Allyson Tighe, Lisa Mckerracher May 2011

A Phase I/Iia Clinical Trial Of A Recombinant Rho Protein Antagonist In Acute Spinal Cord Injury., Michael G Fehlings, Nicholas Theodore, James Harrop, Gilles Maurais, Charles Kuntz, Chris I Shaffrey, Brian K Kwon, Jens Chapman, Albert Yee, Allyson Tighe, Lisa Mckerracher

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Multiple lines of evidence have validated the Rho pathway as important in controlling the neuronal response to growth inhibitory proteins after central nervous system (CNS) injury. A drug called BA-210 (trademarked as Cethrin(®)) blocks activation of Rho and has shown promise in pre-clinical animal studies in being used to treat spinal cord injury (SCI). This is a report of a Phase I/IIa clinical study designed to test the safety and tolerability of the drug, and the neurological status of patients following the administration of a single dose of BA-210 applied during surgery following acute SCI. Patients with thoracic (T2-T12) or …


The Interplay Between Nf-Kappab And E2f1 Coordinately Regulates Inflammation And Metabolism In Human Cardiac Cells., Xavier Palomer, David Álvarez-Guardia, Mercy M Davidson, Tung O Chan, Arthur M Feldman, Manuel Vázquez-Carrera May 2011

The Interplay Between Nf-Kappab And E2f1 Coordinately Regulates Inflammation And Metabolism In Human Cardiac Cells., Xavier Palomer, David Álvarez-Guardia, Mercy M Davidson, Tung O Chan, Arthur M Feldman, Manuel Vázquez-Carrera

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) inhibition by nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is related to a shift towards increased glycolysis during cardiac pathological processes such as cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. The transcription factors estrogen-related receptor-α (ERRα) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) regulate PDK4 expression through the potent transcriptional coactivator PPARγ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α). NF-κB activation in AC16 cardiac cells inhibit ERRα and PPARβ/δ transcriptional activity, resulting in reduced PGC-1α and PDK4 expression, and an enhanced glucose oxidation rate. However, addition of the NF-κB inhibitor parthenolide to these cells prevents the downregulation of PDK4 expression but not ERRα and PPARβ/δ DNA binding activity, …


Dehydroepiandrosterone (Dhea) Replacement Decreases Insulin Resistance And Lowers Inflammatory Cytokines In Aging Humans, Edward P. Weiss, Dennis T. Villareal, Luigi Fontana, Dong-Ho Han, John O. Holloszy May 2011

Dehydroepiandrosterone (Dhea) Replacement Decreases Insulin Resistance And Lowers Inflammatory Cytokines In Aging Humans, Edward P. Weiss, Dennis T. Villareal, Luigi Fontana, Dong-Ho Han, John O. Holloszy

Open Access Publications

Plasma dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) decreases ~80% between ages 25 and 75 yr. In a preliminary study, we found that 6 mo of DHEA replacement improved insulin action in elderly individuals. The purpose of the present larger, randomized double-blind study was to determine whether a longer period of DHEA replacement improves glucose tolerance. Fifty-seven men and 68 women aged 65 to 75 yr were randomly assigned to 50 mg DHEA or placebo once daily. Year one was a randomized, double blind trial. Year 2 was an open label continuation. DHEA replacement improved glucose tolerance in participants who had abnormal GT initially, reduced …


Aging Is Associated With Positive Responding To Neutral Information But Reduced Recovery From Negative Information, Carien M. Van Reekum, Stacey M. Schaefer, Regina C. Lapate, Catherine J. Norris, Lawrence L. Greischar, Richard J. Davidson Apr 2011

Aging Is Associated With Positive Responding To Neutral Information But Reduced Recovery From Negative Information, Carien M. Van Reekum, Stacey M. Schaefer, Regina C. Lapate, Catherine J. Norris, Lawrence L. Greischar, Richard J. Davidson

Dartmouth Scholarship

Studies on aging and emotion suggest an increase in reported positive affect, a processing bias of positive over negative information, as well as increasingly adaptive regulation in response to negative events with advancing age. These findings imply that older individuals evaluate information differently, resulting in lowered reactivity to, and/or faster recovery from, negative information, while maintaining more positive responding to positive information. We examined this hypothesis in an ongoing study on Midlife in the US (MIDUS II) where emotional reactivity and recovery were assessed in a large number of respondents (N = 159) from a wide age range (36–84 …


Protein-Protein Fusion Catalyzed By Sortase A, David A. Levary, Ranganath Parthasarathy, Eric T. Boder, Margaret E. Ackerman Apr 2011

Protein-Protein Fusion Catalyzed By Sortase A, David A. Levary, Ranganath Parthasarathy, Eric T. Boder, Margaret E. Ackerman

Dartmouth Scholarship

Chimeric proteins boast widespread use in areas ranging from cell biology to drug delivery. Post-translational protein fusion using the bacterial transpeptidase sortase A provides an attractive alternative when traditional gene fusion fails. We describe use of this enzyme for in vitro protein ligation and report the successful fusion of 10 pairs of protein domains with preserved functionality — demonstrating the robust and facile nature of this reaction.


Phase 1 Pilot Study Of E-Mail Support For People With Long Term Conditions Using The Internet., Bryony Sheaves, Ray B. Jones, Graham R. Williamson, Rohan Chauhan Apr 2011

Phase 1 Pilot Study Of E-Mail Support For People With Long Term Conditions Using The Internet., Bryony Sheaves, Ray B. Jones, Graham R. Williamson, Rohan Chauhan

School of Nursing and Midwifery

BACKGROUND: Use of the Internet for people with Long Term Conditions (LTCs) can have a positive effect on knowledge, social support, behavioural and clinical outcomes, yet there is concern that a 'digital divide' prevents some patients from benefitting. While some patients do not have access to the Internet, others that do may still lack expertise or the confidence to make full use of it. The aim of this pilot study was to develop an intervention and test methods for a definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT) of anonymous personal online email support for patients in this latter group. METHODS: Recruitment success …


Validity And Reliability Of Two Abbreviated Versions Of The Gross Motor Function Measure., Laura K Brunton, Doreen J Bartlett Apr 2011

Validity And Reliability Of Two Abbreviated Versions Of The Gross Motor Function Measure., Laura K Brunton, Doreen J Bartlett

Physical Therapy Publications

Aim: The “gold standard” to measure gross motor functioning for children with cerebral palsy (CP) is the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66). The purpose of this study was to estimate the validity and reliability of two abbreviated versions (item set (GMFM-66 IS) and basal and ceiling (GMFM-66 B&C) approaches) of the GMFM-66.

Methods: Twenty-six children with CP aged 2 to 6 years across all GMFCS levels participated. At session one, both abbreviated versions were administered by two independent raters, followed by the full GMFM-66. In the subsequent session, only the abbreviated versions were administered, by the same raters. Concurrent validity, …


Potent Inhibition Of Heterotopic Ossification By Nuclear Retinoic Acid Receptor-Γ Agonists., Kengo Shimono, Wei-En Tung, Christine Macolino, Amber Hsu-Tsai Chi, Johanna H Didizian, Christina Mundy, Roshantha A Chandraratna, Yuji Mishina, Motomi Enomoto-Iwamoto, Maurizio Pacifici, Masahiro Iwamoto Apr 2011

Potent Inhibition Of Heterotopic Ossification By Nuclear Retinoic Acid Receptor-Γ Agonists., Kengo Shimono, Wei-En Tung, Christine Macolino, Amber Hsu-Tsai Chi, Johanna H Didizian, Christina Mundy, Roshantha A Chandraratna, Yuji Mishina, Motomi Enomoto-Iwamoto, Maurizio Pacifici, Masahiro Iwamoto

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Heterotopic ossification consists of ectopic bone formation within soft tissues after surgery or trauma. It can have debilitating consequences, but there is no definitive cure. Here we show that heterotopic ossification was essentially prevented in mice receiving a nuclear retinoic acid receptor-γ (RAR-γ) agonist. Side effects were minimal, and there was no significant rebound effect. To uncover the mechanisms of these responses, we treated mouse mesenchymal stem cells with an RAR-γ agonist and transplanted them into nude mice. Whereas control cells formed ectopic bone masses, cells that had been pretreated with the RAR-γ agonist did not, suggesting that they had …


Response To An Abnormal Ovarian Cancer-Screening Test Result: Test Of The Social Cognitive Processing And Cognitive Social Health Information Processing Models, Michael A. Andrykowski, Edward J. Pavlik Apr 2011

Response To An Abnormal Ovarian Cancer-Screening Test Result: Test Of The Social Cognitive Processing And Cognitive Social Health Information Processing Models, Michael A. Andrykowski, Edward J. Pavlik

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

All cancer screening tests produce a proportion of abnormal results requiring follow up. Consequently, the cancer-screening setting is a natural laboratory for examining psychological and behavioural response to a threatening health-related event. This study tested hypotheses derived from the social cognitive processing and cognitive-social health information processing models in trying to understand response to an abnormal ovarian cancer (OC) screening test result. Women (n = 278) receiving an abnormal screening test result a mean of 7 weeks earlier were assessed prior to a repeat screening test intended to clarify their previous abnormal result. Measures of disposition (optimism, informational coping style), …


Mind Perception: Real But Not Artificial Faces Sustain Neural Activity Beyond The N170/Vpp, Thalia Wheatley, Anna Weinberg, Christine Looser, Tim Moran, Greg Hajcak Mar 2011

Mind Perception: Real But Not Artificial Faces Sustain Neural Activity Beyond The N170/Vpp, Thalia Wheatley, Anna Weinberg, Christine Looser, Tim Moran, Greg Hajcak

Dartmouth Scholarship

Faces are visual objects that hold special significance as the icons of other minds. Previous researchers using event-related potentials (ERPs) have found that faces are uniquely associated with an increased N170/vertex positive potential (VPP) and a more sustained frontal positivity. Here, we examined the processing of faces as objects vs. faces as cues to minds by contrasting images of faces possessing minds (human faces), faces lacking minds (doll faces), and non-face objects (i.e., clocks). Although both doll and human faces were associated with an increased N170/VPP from 175–200 ms following stimulus onset, only human faces were associated with a sustained …


Episodic Memory Retrieval, Parietal Cortex, And The Default Mode Network: Functional And Topographic Analyses, Carlo Sestieri, Maurizio Corbetta, Gian Luca Romani, Gordon L. Shulman Mar 2011

Episodic Memory Retrieval, Parietal Cortex, And The Default Mode Network: Functional And Topographic Analyses, Carlo Sestieri, Maurizio Corbetta, Gian Luca Romani, Gordon L. Shulman

Open Access Publications

The default mode network (DMN) is often considered a functionally homogeneous system that is broadly associated with internally directed cognition (e.g., episodic memory, theory of mind, self-evaluation). However, few studies have examined how this network interacts with other networks during putative "default" processes such as episodic memory retrieval. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the topography and response profile of human parietal regions inside and outside the DMN, independently defined using task-evoked deactivations and resting-state functional connectivity, during episodic memory retrieval. Memory retrieval activated posterior nodes of the DMN, particularly the angular gyrus, but also more anterior and dorsal …


Crystal Structure Of A Charge Engineered Human Lysozyme Having Enhanced Bactericidal Activity, Avinash Gill, Thomas C. Scanlon, Daniel C. Osipovitch, Dean R. Madden, Karl E. Griswold Mar 2011

Crystal Structure Of A Charge Engineered Human Lysozyme Having Enhanced Bactericidal Activity, Avinash Gill, Thomas C. Scanlon, Daniel C. Osipovitch, Dean R. Madden, Karl E. Griswold

Dartmouth Scholarship

Human lysozyme is a key component of the innate immune system, and recombinant forms of the enzyme represent promising leads in the search for therapeutic agents able to treat drug-resistant infections. The wild type protein, however, fails to participate effectively in clearance of certain infections due to inherent functional limitations. For example, wild type lysozymes are subject to electrostatic sequestration and inactivation by anionic biopolymers in the infected airway. A charge engineered variant of human lysozyme has recently been shown to possess improved antibacterial activity in the presence of disease associated inhibitory molecules. Here, the 2.04 A ̊ crystal structure …


Analysis Of The Proteome Of Human Airway Epithelial Secretions., Mehboob Ali, Erik P Lillehoj, Yongsung Park, Yoshiyuki Kyo, K Chul Kim Jan 2011

Analysis Of The Proteome Of Human Airway Epithelial Secretions., Mehboob Ali, Erik P Lillehoj, Yongsung Park, Yoshiyuki Kyo, K Chul Kim

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Airway surface liquid, often referred to as mucus, is a thin layer of fluid covering the luminal surface that plays an important defensive role against foreign particles and chemicals entering the lungs. Airway mucus contains various macromolecules, the most abundant being mucin glycoproteins, which contribute to its defensive function. Airway epithelial cells cultured in vitro secrete mucins and nonmucin proteins from their apical surface that mimics mucus production in vivo. The current study was undertaken to identify the polypeptide constituents of human airway epithelial cell secretions to gain a better understanding of the protein composition of respiratory mucus.

RESULTS: …


Safety And Efficacy Of Abt-089 In Pediatric Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Results From Two Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials., Timothy E. Wilens, Laura M. Gault, Ann Childress, Christopher J. Kratochvil, Lindsey Bensman, Coleen M. Hall, Evelyn Olson, Weining Z. Robieson, Tushar S. Garimella, Walid M. Abi-Saab, George Apostol, Mario D. Saltarelli Jan 2011

Safety And Efficacy Of Abt-089 In Pediatric Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Results From Two Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials., Timothy E. Wilens, Laura M. Gault, Ann Childress, Christopher J. Kratochvil, Lindsey Bensman, Coleen M. Hall, Evelyn Olson, Weining Z. Robieson, Tushar S. Garimella, Walid M. Abi-Saab, George Apostol, Mario D. Saltarelli

Journal Articles: Psychiatry

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and efficacy of ABT-089, a novel α(4)β(2) neuronal nicotinic receptor partial agonist, vs. placebo in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

METHOD: Two multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group studies of children 6 through 12 years of age were conducted. Study 1 (n = 274) assessed six treatment groups over 8 weeks: 4 once-daily (QD) ABT-089 doses (0.085-0.700 mg/kg), QD atomoxetine, and placebo. Study 2 (n = 119) assessed three treatment groups over 6 weeks: 2 QD ABT-089 doses (0.7 mg/kg, 1.4 mg/kg) and placebo. The primary efficacy variable was the investigator-administered Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale-IV: Home …


Efficacy And Safety Of Once-Daily Aclidinium In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Paul W. Jones, Stephen I. Rennard, Alvar Agusti, Pascal Chanez, Helgo Magnussen, Leonardo Fabbri, James F. Donohue, Eric D. Bateman, Nicholas J. Gross, Rosa Lamarca, Cynthia Caracta, Esther Garcia Gil Jan 2011

Efficacy And Safety Of Once-Daily Aclidinium In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Paul W. Jones, Stephen I. Rennard, Alvar Agusti, Pascal Chanez, Helgo Magnussen, Leonardo Fabbri, James F. Donohue, Eric D. Bateman, Nicholas J. Gross, Rosa Lamarca, Cynthia Caracta, Esther Garcia Gil

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: The long-term efficacy and safety of aclidinium bromide, a novel, long-acting muscarinic antagonist, were investigated in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS: In two double-blind, 52-week studies, ACCLAIM/COPD I (n=843) and II (n=804), patients were randomised to inhaled aclidinium 200 μg or placebo once-daily. Patients were required to have a post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity ratio of ≤70% and FEV1< 80% of the predicted value. The primary endpoint was trough FEV1 at 12 and 28 weeks. Secondary endpoints were health status measured by St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and time to first moderate or severe COPD exacerbation.

RESULTS: At 12 and 28 weeks, aclidinium improved trough FEV1 versus placebo in ACCLAIM/COPD I (by 61 and 67 mL; both p< 0.001) and ACCLAIM/COPD II (by 63 and 59 mL; both p< 0.001). More patients had a SGRQ improvement≥4 units at 52 weeks with aclidinium versus placebo in ACCLAIM/COPD I (48.1% versus 39.5%; p=0.025) and ACCLAIM/COPD II (39.0% versus 32.8%; p=0.074). The time to first exacerbation was significantly delayed by aclidinium in ACCLAIM/COPD II (hazard ratio [HR] 0.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55 to 0.92; p=0.01), but not ACCLAIM/COPD I (HR 1.0; 95% CI 0.72 to 1.33; p=0.9). Adverse events were minor in both studies.

CONCLUSION: Aclidinium is effective and well tolerated …


Prehypertension And Endothelial Progenitor Cell Function., Oj Maceneaney, C A Desouza, B R Weil, E J Kushner, Gary Van Guilder, M L Mestek, J J Greiner, B L Stauffer Jan 2011

Prehypertension And Endothelial Progenitor Cell Function., Oj Maceneaney, C A Desouza, B R Weil, E J Kushner, Gary Van Guilder, M L Mestek, J J Greiner, B L Stauffer

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Prehypertension is associated with significant damage to the coronary vasculature and increased rates of adverse cardiovascular events. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are critical to vascular repair and the formation of new blood vessels. We tested the hypothesis that prehypertension is associated with EPC dysfunction. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 83 middle-aged and older adults (51 M/32 F): 40 normotensive (age 53±2 yr; BP 111/74±1/1 mmHg) and 43 prehypertensive (54±2; 128/77±1/1 mmHg). EPCs were isolated from peripheral blood and EPC colony-forming capacity (colony-forming unit assay), migratory activity (Boyden chamber) and apoptotic susceptibility (active caspase-3 concentrations) were determined. There were …


Development Of A Kidney Teleultrasound Consultation System, A. Hassan, F. Ibrahim Jan 2011

Development Of A Kidney Teleultrasound Consultation System, A. Hassan, F. Ibrahim

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

This paper presents the development of kidney Tele- Ultrasound consultation system. The TeleUltrasound system provides an innovative design that aids the acquisition, archiving, and dissemination of medical data and information over the internet as its backbone. The system provides data sharing to allow remote collaboration, viewing, consultation, and diagnosis of medical data. The design is layered upon a standard known as Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM). The DICOM standard defines protocols for exchanging medical images and their associated data. The TeleUltrasound system is an integrated solution for retrieving, processing, and archiving images and providing data storage management using …


Barth Syndrome Mutations That Cause Tafazzin Complex Lability, Steven M. Claypool, Kevin Whited, Santi Srijumnong, Xianlin Han, Carla M. Koehler Jan 2011

Barth Syndrome Mutations That Cause Tafazzin Complex Lability, Steven M. Claypool, Kevin Whited, Santi Srijumnong, Xianlin Han, Carla M. Koehler

Open Access Publications

Deficits in mitochondrial function result in many human diseases. The X-linked disease Barth syndrome (BTHS) is caused by mutations in the tafazzin gene TAZ1. Its product, Taz1p, participates in the metabolism of cardiolipin, the signature phospholipid of mitochondria. In this paper, a yeast BTHS mutant tafazzin panel is established, and 18 of the 21 tested BTHS missense mutations cannot functionally replace endogenous tafazzin. Four BTHS mutant tafazzins expressed at low levels are degraded by the intermembrane space AAA (i-AAA) protease, suggesting misfolding of the mutant polypeptides. Paradoxically, each of these mutant tafazzins assembles in normal protein complexes. Furthermore, in the …


Modeling The Development Of Pronunciation In Infant Speech Acquisition., Is Howard, P Messum Jan 2011

Modeling The Development Of Pronunciation In Infant Speech Acquisition., Is Howard, P Messum

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Pronunciation is an important part of speech acquisition, but little attention has been given to the mechanism or mechanisms by which it develops. Speech sound qualities, for example, have just been assumed to develop by simple imitation. In most accounts this is then assumed to be by acoustic matching, with the infant comparing his output to that of his caregiver. There are theoretical and empirical problems with both of these assumptions, and we present a computational model- Elija-that does not learn to pronounce speech sounds this way. Elija starts by exploring the sound making capabilities of his vocal apparatus. Then …


On Getting What We Deserve: Differeing Perspectives, Herbert L Fred Jan 2011

On Getting What We Deserve: Differeing Perspectives, Herbert L Fred

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.


The Evaluation And Management Of Electrical Storm, Michael Eifling, Mehdi Razavi, Ali Massumi Jan 2011

The Evaluation And Management Of Electrical Storm, Michael Eifling, Mehdi Razavi, Ali Massumi

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Electrical storm is an increasingly common and life-threatening syndrome that is defined by 3 or more sustained episodes of ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, or appropriate shocks from an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator within 24 hours. The clinical presentation can be dramatic. Electrical storm can manifest itself during acute myocardial infarction and in patients who have structural heart disease, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or an inherited arrhythmic syndrome. The presence or absence of structural heart disease and the electrocardiographic morphology of the presenting arrhythmia can provide important diagnostic clues into the mechanism of electrical storm. Electrical storm typically has a poor outcome.

The effective …


Cd34-Positive Stem Cells In The Treatment Of Heart And Vascular Disease In Human Beings, Alexander R Mackie, Douglas W Losordo Jan 2011

Cd34-Positive Stem Cells In The Treatment Of Heart And Vascular Disease In Human Beings, Alexander R Mackie, Douglas W Losordo

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Bone marrow-derived CD34(+) cells are a well-characterized population of stem cells that have traditionally been used clinically to reconstitute the hematopoietic system after radiation or chemotherapy. More recently, CD34(+) cells have also been shown to induce therapeutic angiogenesis in animal models of myocardial, peripheral, and cerebral ischemia. The mechanism by which CD34(+) cells promote therapeutic angiogenesis is not completely understood, although evidence supports both direct incorporation of the cells into the expanding vasculature and paracrine secretion of angiogenic growth factors that support the developing microvasculature. Phase I and phase II clinical trials have explored the usefulness of CD34(+) cells in …


Prehypertension: A Meta-Analysis Of The Epidemiology, Risk Factors, And Predictors Of Progression, Xiaofan Guo, Liling Zou, Xingang Zhang, Jue Li, Liqiang Zheng, Zhaoqing Sun, Jian Hu, Nathan D Wong, Yingxian Sun Jan 2011

Prehypertension: A Meta-Analysis Of The Epidemiology, Risk Factors, And Predictors Of Progression, Xiaofan Guo, Liling Zou, Xingang Zhang, Jue Li, Liqiang Zheng, Zhaoqing Sun, Jian Hu, Nathan D Wong, Yingxian Sun

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We investigated the prevalence and risk factors of prehypertension, as well as the predictors of progression from prehypertension to hypertension. To do this, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, after unrestricted searches of PubMed and The Cochrane Library through September 2010. In addition, we reviewed references, major textbooks, and review articles. Pooled prevalence, standardized mean differences, and odds ratios were estimated by using a random-effects model.

Twenty-six articles met our inclusion criteria; these included 20 cross-sectional and 6 longitudinal studies, with a total sample of 250,741 individuals. The overall pooled prevalence of prehypertension was …


Central Venous Pressure And Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure, Tony S Ma, Biykem Bozkurt, David Paniagua, Biswajit Kar, Kumudha Ramasubbu, Carl F Rothe Jan 2011

Central Venous Pressure And Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure, Tony S Ma, Biykem Bozkurt, David Paniagua, Biswajit Kar, Kumudha Ramasubbu, Carl F Rothe

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Heart-failure phenotypes include pulmonary and systemic venous congestion. Traditional heart-failure classification systems include the Forrester hemodynamic subsets, which use 2 indices: pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and cardiac index. We hypothesized that changes in PCWP and central venous pressure (CVP), and in the phenotypes of heart failure, might be better evaluated by cardiovascular modeling. Therefore, we developed a lumped-parameter cardiovascular model and analyzed forms of heart failure in which the right and left ventricles failed disproportionately (discordant ventricular failure) versus equally (concordant failure). At least 10 modeling analyses were carried out to the equilibrium state. Acute discordant pump failure was …


Troubleshooting Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators: An Overview For Physicians Who Are Not Electrophysiologists, Mohammad Saeed Jan 2011

Troubleshooting Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators: An Overview For Physicians Who Are Not Electrophysiologists, Mohammad Saeed

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.


Designing Clinical Trials In Older People., C. B. Carroll, J. P. Zajicek Jan 2011

Designing Clinical Trials In Older People., C. B. Carroll, J. P. Zajicek

Peninsula Medical School

Adequate medical care of the increasingly ageing population requires robust clinical trial data both to inform treatment decisions, and to understand the natural history of diseases which primarily affect the elderly. However, this information is widely lacking, which is likely to have significant clinical consequences. Under-representation of older people in clinical trials is well documented, the reasons including physicians' perception, protocol eligibility criteria, and functional status requirements. Many clinical trial designs remain conservative and there is no established standardised methodology for recruiting more elderly patients with co-morbidities and disability into clinical trials. Designing clinical trials in older people poses a …


Potential For Interdependent Development Of Trna Determinants For Aminoacylation And Ribosome Decoding., Cuiping Liu, Howard Gamper, Hanqing Liu, Barry S Cooperman, Ya-Ming Hou Jan 2011

Potential For Interdependent Development Of Trna Determinants For Aminoacylation And Ribosome Decoding., Cuiping Liu, Howard Gamper, Hanqing Liu, Barry S Cooperman, Ya-Ming Hou

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Although the nucleotides in tRNA required for aminoacylation are conserved in evolution, bacterial aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetases are unable to acylate eukaryotic tRNA. The cross-species barrier may be due to the absence of eukaryote-specific domains from bacterial aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetases. Here we show that whereas Escherichia coli CysRS cannot acylate human tRNA(Cys), the fusion of a eukaryote-specific domain of human CysRS overcomes the cross-species barrier in human tRNA(Cys). In addition to enabling recognition of the sequence differences in the tertiary core of tRNA(Cys), the fused eukaryotic domain redirects the specificity of E. coli CysRS from the A37 present in bacterial tRNA(Cys) …