Digital Commons Network^™

Educating Adolescents About Puberty: What Are We Missing?, Hatim A. Omar, Darby H. Mcelderry, Rana M. Zakharia

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Adolescents undergo significant physical and cognitive changes during their pubertal development. These changes contribute to and impact their future development. Educating adolescents at an early age about their expected development decreases the possible anxiety associated with this period of life and also helps adolescents make better choices in regards to their sexuality. In order to assess the degree of education regarding pubertal development and sexuality, we conducted a survey of late adolescents (Median age 19 years) and parents of adolescents. A total of 409 adolescents (237 females, 172 males) and 124 parents completed the survey. 14.4% of teens (36.6% of …

G03-1513 Understanding Fungal (Mold) Toxins (Mycotoxins), Michael P. Carlson, Steveb M. Ensley

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Mycotoxins are chemicals produced by fungi (molds) under certain conditions. They are not essential for fungal growth or reproduction, and are toxic to animals or humans.

This NebGuide briefly discusses mycotoxins commonly encountered in grains and feeds used in Nebraska and the mycotoxicoses they cause. Mycotoxin sources and clinical signs, lesions, diagnostic aids and treatment for each mycotoxicosis are listed.

Nf03-571 Aspergillus Flavus And Aflatoxins In Corn, Jim Stack, Michael Carlson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The severe weather conditions of the 2002 growing season resulted in an increase in the incidence and severity of aflatoxin contamination of both food grade and feed grade corn in Nebraska.

The mycotoxin called aflatoxin is produced by the grain mold Aspergillus flavus. Not all isolates of A. flavus produced aflatoxin and isolates that are capable of producing aflatoxin do not always synthesize the toxin. Many factors including environmental conditions and host suscepbitility, determine the incidence and severity of grain mold and subsequent mycotoxin contamination.

This NebFact discusses the cause and occurrence of aflatoxin in corn; the effects it has …

Nf03-570 Fumonisins In Corn, Jim Stack, Michael Carlson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

During the past two years, millers have rejected some Nebraska food grade corn because it was contaminated with the mycotoxin fumonisin. Most of the contaminated samples and the highest levels of contamination were detected in corn from counties in the eastern half of Nebraska.

Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by the grain molds Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum. These fungi are commonly found in corn throughout the United States.

This NebFact discusses the cause and occurrence of fumonisin in corn; the effects it has on plants, animals and humans; and management options to minimize fumonisin contamination.

The Permeability Of The Endoplasmic Reticulum Is Dynamically Coupled To Protein Synthesis, Anirban Roy, William F. Wonderlin

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Sex Education In The Schools: What Role Does It Play?, Darby H. Mcelderry, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Information regarding pubertal development, sex, pregnancy, and contraception should be provided to children and adolescents in an age-appropriate manner from parents, health care providers, and schools. This article reviews the medical literature on school sex education programs, adolescents' perception of these programs, and the role played by the media, parents, and health care professionals in sexual education of teens.

Development And Validation Of A Professional Behavior Assessment., Kristie Koenig, Caryn Johnson, Cathleen K Morano, Joseph P Ducette

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

Allied health students must quickly socialize into a professional role as they transition from classroom to clinic. In addition to skill development, students must exhibit a host of professional behaviors that facilitate successful interaction with patients, families, and colleagues. There is a need for a valid, reliable assessment of professional behaviors that contribute to clinical competence. This study reports on the development and validation of a professional behavior assessment for occupational therapy students on a part-time clinical rotation (Level I). The Philadelphia Region Fieldwork Consortium (PRFC) Level I Student Evaluation was developed from an initial survey (n = 75) to …

Family Connectedness And Sexual Risk-Taking Among Urban Youth Attending Alternative High Schools, Christine M Markham, Susan R Tortolero, S Liliana Escobar-Chaves, Guy S Parcel, Ronald Harrist, Robert C Addy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

CONTEXT: Youth in alternative high schools engage in risky sexual behavior at higher rates than do their peers in regular schools, placing themselves at an increased risk of sexually transmitted disease and unintended pregnancy. Family connectedness is associated with reduced adolescent sexual risk-taking, although this association has not been tested among alternative school youth.

METHODS: A sample of 976 urban, predominantly minority alternative high school students in Houston, Texas, were surveyed in 2000-2002. Survey data were analyzed using logistic regression to determine whether family connectedness is related to sexual risk-taking.

RESULTS: Overall, 68% of students reported ever having had sex. …

State Mandated Prenatal Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening At A Large Community Hospital, William Cusick, Julie G. Stewart, Michael Parry, Gavin Mcleod, Gerald Rakos, Chris Sullivan, John Rodis

Nursing Faculty Publications

Purpose: To describe the initial experience of state mandated prenatal HIV screening at a large community hospital.
Methods: HIV screening was provided to all pregnant women as of October 1, 1999. All HIV-positive women identified received aggressive antiretroviral therapy to reduce the likelihood for vertical transmission. Neonates were screened for HIV at zero, six, and 12 months of age.
Results: Seven pregnant women (0.3%) and two additional family members tested positive for HIV. All seven infants born to the identified HIV-positive women have tested negative for infection. We estimated that six of nine cases of HIV infection identified would have …

The Physician's Perception Of Medical Error And Its Application To The Development Of An Educational Training Tool, Johnny E. Bates, Cynthia Phelps, Craig W. Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

It is becoming clear that if we are to impact the rate of medical errors it will have to be done at the practicing physician level. The purpose of this project was to survey the attitude of physicians in Alabama concerning their perception of medical error, and to obtain their thoughts and desires for medical education in the area of medical errors. The information will be used in the development of a physician education program.

An Author Co-Citation Analysis Of Medical Informatics, James E. Andrews

School of Information Faculty Publications

Objective: This study presents the results of an author co-citation analysis of the interdisciplinary field of medical informatics.

Methods: An author co-citation analysis was conducted for the years 1994 to 1998, using the fifty most-cited American College of Medical Informatics fellows as an author population. Co-citation data were calculated for every author pair, and multivariate analyses were performed to ultimately show the relationships among all authors. A multidimensional map was created, wherein each author is represented as a point, and the proximity of these points reflects the relationships of authors as perceived by multiple citers.

Results and Conclusion: The results …

Orthognathic Surgery In The University Of Malaya, Wei Cheong Ngeow

Research Publications (2000 to 2005)

This is the first review on orthognathic surgery in Malaysia. The records of a total of 84 patients seen between 1977 and 1999 in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya were analysed. Skeletal III deformity formed 85 of the sample with a female dominance of 2 to 1. The patients' age ranged from 17 to 36 years, with a mean of 25.3 years. The common surgical techniques used were combined bilateral sagittal split and Le Fort I osteotomy. The predominant ethnic group was Chinese (n=58, 69); followed by Malay (n=14, 17) …

The Sociophysiology Of Caring In The Doctor-Patient Relationship, Herbert M. Adler

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

The emotional investment required to construct a caring doctor-patient relationship can be justified on humane grounds. Can it also be justified as a direct physiologic intervention? Two lines of evidence point in this direction. People in an empathic relationship exhibit a correlation of indicators of autonomic activity. This occurs between speakers and responsive listeners, members of a coherent group, and bonded pairs of higher social animals. Furthermore, the experience of feeling cared about in a relationship reduces the secretion of stress hormones and shifts the neuroendocrine system toward homeostasis. Because the social engagement of emotions is simultaneously the social engagement …

Mad2 And Bubr1 Function In A Single Checkpoint Pathway That Responds To A Loss Of Tension, Katie Shannon, Julie C. Canman, Edward D. Salmon

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

The spindle checkpoint monitors microtubule attachment and tension at kinetochores to ensure proper chromosome segregation. Previously, PtK1 cells in hypothermic conditions (23°C) were shown to have a pronounced mitotic delay, despite having normal numbers of kinetochore microtubules. At 23°C, we found that PtK1 cells remained in metaphase for an average of 101 min, compared with 21 min for cells at 37°C. The metaphase delay at 23°C was abrogated by injection of Mad2 inhibitors, showing that Mad2 and the spindle checkpoint were responsible for the prolonged metaphase. Live cell imaging showed that kinetochore Mad2 became undetectable soon after chromosome congression. Measurements …

Brain Uptake, Retention, And Efflux Of Aluminum And Manganese, Robert A. Yokel

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

My colleagues and I investigated the sites and mechanisms of aluminum (Al) and manganese (Mn) distribution through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Microdialysis was used to sample non-protein-bound Al in the extracellular fluid (ECF) of blood (plasma) and brain. Brain ECF Al appearance after intravenous Al citrate injection was too rapid to attribute to diffusion or to transferrin-receptor-mediated endocytosis, suggesting another carrier-mediated process. The brain:blood ECF Al concentration ratio was 0.15 at constant blood and brain ECF Al concentrations, suggesting carrier-mediated brain Al efflux. Pharmacological manipulations suggested the efflux carrier might be a monocarboxylate transporter (MCT). However, the lack of Al …

Consumer Health Information For Asians (Chia): A Collaborative Project, Deborah D. Halsted, Beatriz Varman, Marsha Sullivan, Lynne Nguyen

Library Staff Publications

According to the 2000 United States Census, the Asian population in Houston, Texas, has increased more than 67% in the last ten years. To supplement an already active consumer health information program, the staff of the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library worked with community partners to bring health information to predominantly Asian neighborhoods. Brochures on health topics of concern to the Asian community were translated and placed in eight informational kiosks in Asian centers such as temples and an Asian grocery store. A press conference and a ribbon cutting ceremony were held to debut the kiosks and to …

A 12-Year Prospective Study Of The Long-Term Effects Of Early Child Physical Maltreatment On Psychological, Behavioral, And Academic Problems In Adolescence, Jennifer E Lansford, Kenneth A Dodge, Gregory S Pettit, John E Bates, Joseph Crozier, Julie Kaplow

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether child physical maltreatment early in life has long-term effects on psychological, behavioral, and academic problems independent of other characteristics associated with maltreatment.

DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal study with data collected annually from 1987 through 1999.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Randomly selected, community-based samples of 585 children from the ongoing Child Development Project were recruited the summer before children entered kindergarten in 3 geographic sites. Seventy-nine percent continued to participate in grade 11. The initial in-home interviews revealed that 69 children (11.8%) had experienced physical maltreatment prior to kindergarten matriculation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adolescent assessment of school grades, standardized …

Malignancy In Oral Lichen Planus: A Review Of A Group From The Malaysian Population, Wei Cheong Ngeow

Research Publications (2000 to 2005)

The objective of this study was to determine the socio-demography (age, race and gender) of a group of Malaysian patients who were diagnosed as suffering from oral lichen planus (OLP). The occurrence of malignancy was also investigated. A total of 77 clinical and biopsy records of patients with OLP were studied. Females were affected more than males, with the female to male ratio being 2:1. Middle-aged Indian and Chinese females tend to be affected by OLP when compared with the rest of the population. Only 19 patients returned for further follow-up. One adult Indian female with a six-year history of …

Current Practice Regarding The Use Of Fatty Livers: A Trans-Atlantic Survey., Charles J. Imber, Shawn D. St Peter, Inigo Lopez, Lynden Guiver, Peter J. Friend

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

A strong association exists between the presence of steatosis in a donor liver for transplantation and the development of primary nonfunction in the recipient. Despite this, appraisal of the donor remains one of the least scientific aspects of the transplantation process, and many centers base their practice on subjective opinion, rather than objective data. We conducted this survey to illuminate controversial issues and highlight the variation of opinion and practice policies both between and within the United Kingdom and the United States. A simple, anonymous, one-page, 10-question survey with tick-box answers was sent to every practicing liver transplant surgeon in …

Child, Parent, And Peer Predictors Of Early-Onset Substance Use: A Multisite Longitudinal Study, Julie B Kaplow, Patrick J Curran, Kenneth A Dodge

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The purpose of this study was to identify kindergarten-age predictors of early-onset substance use from demographic, environmental, parenting, child psychological, behavioral, and social functioning domains. Data from a longitudinal study of 295 children were gathered using multiple-assessment methods and multiple informants in kindergarten and 1st grade. Annual assessments at ages 10, 11, and 12 reflected that 21% of children reported having initiated substance use by age 12. Results from longitudinal logistic regression models indicated that risk factors at kindergarten include being male, having a parent who abused substances, lower levels of parental verbal reasoning, higher levels of overactivity, more thought …

Hepatic Steatosis And Its Relationship To Transplantation., Charles J. Imber, Shawn D. St Peter, Ashok Handa, Peter J. Friend

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Fatty infiltration of the liver is common in the brain-dead donor population and has a strong correlation with primary nonfunction after cold preservation, a condition that is catastrophic to liver transplant recipients. This literature review examines factors associated with the development, diagnosis, quantification, and clinical management of this difficult condition.

Assessing Allele Frequencies Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In Dna Pools By Pyrosequencing Technology, Jon Wasson, Gary Skolnick, Latisha Love-Gregory, M. Alan Permutt

Open Access Publications

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association studies searching for differences in allele frequencies between cases and controls have been widely used for genetic analysis. Individual genotyping is prohibitively expensive in large sample sizes. Pooling of samples provides the obvious advantage of higher throughput and lower cost. Here we report our results with the analysis of SNP allele frequencies in DNA pools using Pyrosequencing technology. For seven different SNPs, we observed a mean difference of 1.1 +/- 0.6% between allele frequencies determined in two different DNA pools (n = 150 cases and 150 controls) compared to individually genotyped samples.

Improved Continuation Rate Of Depot-Medroxyprogesterone Acetate In Adolescent Mothers, Hatim A. Omar, Amy Fowler, Sandy D'Angelo

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Poor compliance and high discontinuation rates of Depot-Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA) and other contraceptive methods are major factors in the continuing problem of adolescent pregnancy. In this study we attempted to determine if providing comprehensive health care for teen mothers and their babies would improve continuation rates of DMPA. Patients who started DMPA between 1/1/96 and 1/1/99 were included. Teen mothers and their babies received all their health care in this clinic, supported by State funding. Key elements regarding DMPA in this clinic were continuity of care, phone and mail reminders of appointments, free DMPA for patients without insurance, counseling at …

Neural Systems For Visual Orienting And Their Relationships To Spatial Working Memory, Maurizio Corbetta, J. Michelle Kincade, Gordon Shulman

Open Access Publications

We investigated neural correlates of human visual orienting using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). When subjects voluntarily directed attention to a peripheral location, we recorded robust and sustained signals uniquely from the intraparietal sulcus (IPs) and superior frontal cortex (near the frontal eye field, FEF). In the ventral IPs and FEF only, the blood oxygen level dependent signal was modulated by the direction of attention. The IPs and FEF also maintained the most sustained level of activation during a 7-sec delay, when subjects maintained attention at the peripheral cued location (working memory). Therefore, the IPs and FEF form a …

Ube1l Is A Retinoid Target That Triggers Pml/Rarα Degradation And Apoptosis In Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Sutisak Kitareewan, Ian Pitha-Rowe, David Sekula, Christopher H. Lowrey, Michael J. Nemeth, Todd R. Golub, Sarah J. Freemantle, Ethan Dmitrovsky

Dartmouth Scholarship

All-trans-retinoic acid (RA) treatment induces remissions in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cases expressing the t(15;17) product, promyelocytic leukemia (PML)/RA receptor α (RARα). Microarray analyses previously revealed induction of UBE1L (ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1-like) after RA treatment of NB4 APL cells. We report here that this occurs within 3 h in RA-sensitive but not RA-resistant APL cells, implicating UBE1L as a direct retinoid target. A 1.3-kb fragment of the UBE1L promoter was capable of mediating transcriptional response to RA in a retinoid receptor-selective manner. PML/RARα, a repressor of RA target genes, abolished this UBE1L promoter activity. A hallmark of …

Breast Cancer On The World Wide Web: Cross Sectional Survey Of Quality Of Information And Popularity Of Websites, Funda Meric, Elmer V Bernstam, Nadeem Q Mirza, Kelly K Hunt, Frederick C Ames, Merrick I Ross, Henry M Kuerer, Raphael E Pollock, Mark A Musen, S Eva Singletary

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: To determine the characteristics of popular breast cancer related websites and whether more popular sites are of higher quality.

DESIGN: The search engine Google was used to generate a list of websites about breast cancer. Google ranks search results by measures of link popularity---the number of links to a site from other sites. The top 200 sites returned in response to the query "breast cancer" were divided into "more popular" and "less popular" subgroups by three different measures of link popularity: Google rank and number of links reported independently by Google and by AltaVista (another search engine).

MAIN OUTCOME …

Short-Circuiting Long-Lived Humoral Immunity By The Heightened Engagement Of Cd40, Loren D. Erickson, Brigit G. Durell, Laura A. Vogel, Brian P. Connor, Marilia Cascalho, Teruhito Yasui, Hitoshi Kikutani, Randolph J. Noelle

Dartmouth Scholarship

Agonistic αCD40 Ab’s have been shown to be potent immune adjuvants for both cell- and humoral-mediated immunity. While enhancing short-lived humoral immunity, the administration of a CD40 agonist during thymus-dependent immune responses ablates germinal center formation, prematurely terminates the humoral immune response, blocks the generation of B cell memory, and prevents the generation of long-lived bone marrow plasma cells. Interestingly, some of these effects of heightened CD40 engagement could be mimicked by enhancing the magnitude of antigen-specific T cell help. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that as the magnitude of CD40 signaling intensifies, the fate of antigen-reactive B cells can …

Reduction In The Incidence Of Type 2 Diabetes With Lifestyle Intervention Or Metformin., William C. Knowler, Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, Sarah E. Fowler, Richard F. Hamman, John M. Lachin, Elizabeth A. Walker, David M. Nathan, P. G. Watson, J. T. Mendoza, K. A. Smith, J. Caro, B. Goldstein, C. Lark, L. Menefee, L. Murphy, C. Pepe, J. M. Spandorfer

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 8 percent of adults in the United States. Some risk factors--elevated plasma glucose concentrations in the fasting state and after an oral glucose load, overweight, and a sedentary lifestyle--are potentially reversible. We hypothesized that modifying these factors with a lifestyle-intervention program or the administration of metformin would prevent or delay the development of diabetes.

METHODS: We randomly assigned 3234 nondiabetic persons with elevated fasting and post-load plasma glucose concentrations to placebo, metformin (850 mg twice daily), or a lifestyle-modification program with the goals of at least a 7 percent weight loss and at least …

Spectral And Temporal Processing In Human Auditory Cortex, Deborah A Hall, Ingrid Johnsrude, Mark P Haggard, Alan R Palmer, Michael A Akeroyd, A Quentin Summerfield

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Hierarchical processing suggests that spectrally and temporally complex stimuli will evoke more activation than do simple stimuli, particularly in non-primary auditory fields. This hypothesis was tested using two tones, a single frequency tone and a harmonic tone, that were either static or frequency modulated to create four stimuli. We interpret the location of differences in activation by drawing comparisons between fMRI and human cytoarchitectonic data, reported in the same brain space. Harmonic tones produced more activation than single tones in right Heschl's gyrus (HG) and bilaterally in the lateral supratemporal plane (STP). Activation was also greater to frequency-modulated tones than …

Surveillance For Waterborne-Disease Outbreaks--United States, 1999-2000, Sherline H. Lee, Deborah A. Levy, Gunther F. Craun, Michael J. Beach, Rebecca L. Calderon

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

PROBLEM/CONDITION: Since 1971, CDC, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) have maintained a collaborative surveillance system for the occurrences and causes of waterborne-disease outbreaks (WBDOs).This surveillance system is the primary source of data concerning the scope and effects of waterborne diseases on persons in the United States.

REPORTING PERIOD COVERED: This summary includes data regarding outbreaks occurring during January 1999-December 2000 and previously unreported outbreaks occurring in 1995 and 1997.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM: The surveillance system includes data for outbreaks associated with drinking water and recreational water. State, territorial, and …