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Differences In The Central Neural Activation Under Emotional Stress Across The Menstrual Cycle, Nayalya Lopushnyan

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

The present study had several goals. First, we aimed to investigate the potential differences in the activation of the corticolimbic structures during emotional stress in healthy women across the menstrual cycle using stress imagery. Second, we searched for differences in the subjective anxiety under emotional stress across the menstrual cycle and tried to correlate the perceived level of anxiety to activation of the specific corticolimbic structures. Third, we attempted to compare central neural activation of women in follicular and in luteal phases of the menstrual cycle separately to that of men during emotional stress to investigate potential differences in neural …

Efficacy Of Formal Screening For Depression In Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Clinic, Jeffrey Winer

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

This study was undertaken to examine the efficacy of screening for depression in a pediatric diabetes clinic and how the yield of such screening compares with established screening protocols aimed at identifying early microvascular complications and associated autoimmune diseases. Two-hundred-fifteen children and adolescents 8-18 years old in the Yale Pediatric Diabetes Center were screened for depression using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), with information including gender, age, duration of diabetes, HbA1C, and results of other screening protocols compiled. A total of 8.4% of our cohort had CDI scores ≥13 indicative of clinically-significant depressive symptoms, with a range of 0-34. Depression …

Physical And Functional Interaction Between The Dopamine Transporter And The Synaptic Vesicle Protein Synaptogyrin-3, Loreto A Egaña, Rolando A Cuevas, Tracy B Baust, Leonardo A Parra, Rehana K Leak, Sarah Hochendoner, Karina Peña, Marisol Quiroz, Weimin C Hong, Mario M Dorostkar, Roger Janz, Harald H Sitte, Gonzalo E Torres

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Uptake through the dopamine transporter (DAT) represents the primary mechanism used to terminate dopaminergic transmission in brain. Although it is well known that dopamine (DA) taken up by the transporter is used to replenish synaptic vesicle stores for subsequent release, the molecular details of this mechanism are not completely understood. Here, we identified the synaptic vesicle protein synaptogyrin-3 as a DAT interacting protein using the split ubiquitin system. This interaction was confirmed through coimmunoprecipitation experiments using heterologous cell lines and mouse brain. DAT and synaptogyrin-3 colocalized at presynaptic terminals from mouse striatum. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer microscopy, we show …

The Relationship Between Cerebral Hemisphere Volume And Receptive Language Functioning In Dyslexia And Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd)., Michelle Y. Kibby, Shital P. Pavawalla, Jill B. Fancher, Angela J. Naillon, George W. Hynd

Publications

Because poor comprehension has been associated with small cerebral volume and there is a high comorbidity between developmental dyslexia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and specific language impairment, the goal of this study was to determine whether cerebral volume is reduced in dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in general, as some suggest, or whether the reduction in volume corresponds to poor receptive language functioning, regardless of the diagnosis. Participants included 46 children with and without dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, aged 8 to 12 years. Our results indicated that cerebral volume was comparable between those with and without dyslexia and attention-deficit …

Laparoscopic Treatment Of Pancreatic Pseudocysts In Children., Suzanne M. Yoder, Steven Rothenberg, Kuojen Tsao, Mark L. Wulkan, Todd A. Ponsky, Shawn D. St Peter, Daniel J. Ostlie, Timothy D. Kane

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic pseudocysts are problematic sequelae of pancreatitis or pancreatic trauma causing persistent abdominal pain, nausea, and gastric outlet obstruction. Due to the low volume of disease in children, there is scant information in the literature on the operative management of pseudocysts with minimally invasive techniques. We conducted a multi-institutional review to illustrate several technical variations utilized in achieving laparoscopic cystgastrostomy in the pediatric population.

METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of all patients who underwent laparoscopic cystgastrostomy in five institutions. Patient data, operative techniques, and postoperative course were analyzed.

RESULTS: There were 13 patients with a mean age of …

Transperitoneal Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy After Prosthetic Mesh Herniorrhaphy., Costas D. Lallas, Mark L. Pe, Jitesh V. Patel, Pranav Sharma, Leonard G. Gomella, Edouard J. Trabulsi

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We report our institutional experience performing transperitoneal robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) in patients with prior prosthetic mesh herniorrhaphy to assess the feasibility of this procedure in this patient population. METHODS: From October 2005 to January 2008, transperitoneal robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomies were performed and prospectively recorded. We retrospectively reviewed 309 patients. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (8.7%) were found to have a history of prior hernia repair with prosthetic mesh placement. The mean age was 55.7, estimated blood loss (EBL) was 228 mL, operative (console) time was 197 minutes, and length of hospital stay (LOS) was 1.62 days. In contrast, …

Long-Term Survival After Multidisciplinary Management Of Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma, Matthew H G Katz, Huamin Wang, Jason B Fleming, Charlotte C Sun, Rosa F Hwang, Robert A Wolff, Gauri Varadhachary, James L Abbruzzese, Christopher H Crane, Sunil Krishnan, Jean-Nicolas Vauthey, Eddie K Abdalla, Jeffrey E Lee, Peter W T Pisters, Douglas B Evans

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Actual 5-year survival rates of 10-18% have been reported for patients with resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC), but the use of multimodality therapy was uncommon in these series. We evaluated long-term survival and patterns of recurrence in patients treated for PC with contemporary staging and multimodality therapy.

METHODS: We analyzed 329 consecutive patients with PC evaluated between 1990 and 2002 who underwent resection. Each received a multidisciplinary evaluation and a standard operative approach. Pre- or postoperative chemotherapy and/or chemoradiation were routine. Surgical specimens of 5-year survivors were re-reviewed. A multivariate model of factors associated with long-term survival was constructed.

RESULTS: …

Pick1 Deficiency Causes Male Infertility In Mice By Disrupting Acrosome Formation, Nan (Tori) Xiao, Chuen Kam, Chong Shen, Wenying Jin, Junqi Wang, Kwong Man Lee, Liwen Jiang, Jun Xia

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Protein interacting with C kinase 1 (PICK1) is a peripheral membrane protein involved in protein trafficking, a function that has been well characterized in neurons. Here, we report that male mice deficient in PICK1 are infertile and have a phenotype resembling the human disease globozoospermia. The primary defect in the testes of Pick1-knockout mice was fragmentation of acrosomes in the early stages of spermiogenesis. This fragmentation was followed by defects in nuclear elongation and mitochondrial sheath formation, leading to round-headed sperm, reduced sperm count, and severely impaired sperm motility. We found that PICK1 interacted with Golgi-associated PDZ- and coiled-coil motif-containing …

Comorbidities, Patient Knowledge, And Disease Management In A National Sample Of Patients With Copd, R Graham Barr, Bartolome R Celli, David M Mannino, Thomas Petty, Stephen I Rennard, Frank C Sciurba, James K Stoller, Byron M Thomashow, Gerard M Turino

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States but is often undertreated. COPD often overlaps with other conditions such as hypertension and osteoporosis, which are less morbid but may be treated more aggressively. We evaluated the prevalence of these comorbid conditions and compared testing, patient knowledge, and management in a national sample of patients with COPD.

METHODS: A survey was administered by telephone in 2006 to 1003 patients with COPD to evaluate the prevalence of comorbid conditions, diagnostic testing, knowledge, and management using standardized instruments. The completion rate was 87%.

RESULTS: …

Coronary Steal Syndrome After Coronary Artery Bypass For Anomalous Aortic Origin Of A Coronary Artery., Benjamin A. Youdelman, Glenn J. Pelletier, C Igor Mesia, Marshall L. Jacobs

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery found in a symptomatic 9-year-old boy was initially treated with coronary artery bypass grafting using a left internal mammary artery anastomoses to the left anterior descending coronary artery, but resulted in coronary ischemia, likely from a steal phenomenon. Subsequent transection of the proximal left internal mammary artery with anastomosis to the ascending aorta, and coronary ostial enlargement, resulted in a durable treatment. We recommend caution in choosing coronary artery bypass grafting using a left internal mammary artery pedicle graft for the treatment of anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery.

Smoking Enhances Risk For New External Genital Warts In Men, Dorothy J. Wiley, David Elashoff, Emmanuel V. Masongsong, Diane M. Harper

Dartmouth Scholarship

Repeat episodes of HPV-related external genital warts reflect recurring or new infections. No study before has been sufficiently powered to delineate how tobacco use, prior history of EGWs and HIV infection affect the risk for new EGWs. Behavioral, laboratory and examination data for 2,835 Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study participants examined at 21,519 semi-annual visits were evaluated. Fourteen percent (391/2835) of men reported or were diagnosed with EGWs at 3% (675/21,519) of study visits. Multivariate analyses showed smoking, prior episodes of EGWs, HIV infection and CD4+ T-lymphocyte count among the infected, each differentially influenced the risk for new EGWs.

Paracrine Sonic Hedgehog Signalling By Prostate Cancer Cells Induces Osteoblast Differentiation, Samantha M Zunich, Taneka Douglas, Maria Valdovinos, Tiffany Chang

Dartmouth Scholarship

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and components of its signalling pathway have been identified in human prostate carcinoma and increased levels of their expression appear to correlate with disease progression and metastasis. The mechanism through which Shh signalling could promote metastasis in bone, the most common site for prostate carcinoma metastasis, has not yet been investigated. The present study determined the effect of Shh signalling between prostate cancer cells and pre-osteoblasts on osteoblast differentiation, a requisite process for new bone formation that characterizes prostate carcinoma metastasis.

Life Expectancy And Years Of Life Lost In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Findings From The Nhanes Iii Follow-Up Study, Robert M. Shavelle, David R. Paculdo, Scott J. Kush, David M. Mannino, David J. Strauss

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

RATIONALE: Previous studies have demonstrated that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes increased mortality in the general population. But life expectancy and the years of life lost have not been reported.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify mortality, examine how it varies with age, sex, and other risk factors, and determine how life expectancy is affected.

METHODS: We constructed mortality models using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, adjusting for age, sex, race, and major medical conditions. We used these to compute life expectancy and the years of life lost.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Pulmonary function testing classified patients as having …

Trends In Mental Health Of An Adolescent Medicine Clinic Patient Population, Abdel Salous, Linah Al-Alem, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The correlation between exposure to forms of violence and development of mental disorders in victims is well established. The purpose of this paper was to identify mental health problems in an adolescent medicine clinic population in Lexington, KY and to investigate potential correlation of mental disorders with psychosocial factors. Data were gathered from the charts of 169 adolescent clinic patients (age 10-22) seen in the clinic for mental health care and analyzed using Excel. Of the patient population, 68% were urban, whereas 32% were rural. In terms of gender, 40% of the patients were male and 60% were female, 80% …

Discovering The Complexities Of Adolescent Compliance To Treatment, Megan Song, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

To explore the challenges faced in enhancing adolescent treatment compliance and to understand the roles of key players in this endeavor: the adolescent, parent and healthcare provider. Obtaining compliance from adolescents requires collaboration from the adolescent, caregiver and provider and depends on well-established relationships between each person in the triad: adolescent-provider, adolescent-caregiver, and caregiver-provider. Ensuring and improving adherence to treatment by adolescents is a challenging task but crucial to overall health outcomes. It requires the collaboration of the adolescent, parent and physician to create the optimal treatment plan, specifically tailored to the adolescent. For the clinician, maintaining good communication and …

Antibiotic Resistance In Staphylococcus Aureus-Containing Cutaneous Abscesses Of Patients With Hiv, Gus W Krucke, Deanna E Grimes, Richard M Grimes, Thai D Dang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to document the resistance patterns found in exudates from cutaneous abscesses of HIV-infected persons.

BASIC PROCEDURES: Patient records were reviewed on 93 culture and sensitivity tests performed on exudates taken from incised and drained abscesses of HIV-infected persons.

MAIN FINDINGS: Of the specimens, 84.6% were Staphylococcus aureus. Of these, 93.5% were penicillin resistant, 87% oxacillin resistant, 84.4% cephazolin resistant, 84.4% erythromycin resistant, 52.2% ciprofloxacin resistant, and 15.6% tetracycline resistant. Fifty-eight specimens were tested for clindamycin with 29.3% found resistant; 85.7% were methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) (defined as resistant to both penicillin G and …

Lymphocyte Proliferation To Mycobacterial Antigens Is Detectable Across A Spectrum Of Hiv-Associated Tuberculosis, Timothy Lahey, Mecky Matee, Lillian Mtei, Muhammad Bakari, Kisali Pallangyo, C Fordham Von Reyn

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background:

Identifying novel TB diagnostics is a major public health priority. We explored the diagnostic characteristics of antimycobacterial lymphocyte proliferation assays (LPA) in HIV-infected subjects with latent or active TB.

Methods:

HIV-infected subjects with bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG) scars and CD4 counts ≥ 200 cells/mm³ entering a TB booster vaccine trial in Tanzania had baseline in vivo and in vitro immune tests performed: tuberculin skin tests (TST), LPA and five day assays of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release. Assay antigens were early secreted antigenic target 6 (ESAT-6), antigen 85 (Ag85), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis whole cell lysate (WCL). Subjects were screened …

Association Of Gucy2c Expression In Lymph Nodes With Time To Recurrence And Disease-Free Survival In Pn0 Colorectal Cancer., Scott A Waldman, Terry Hyslop, Stephanie Schulz, Alan Barkun, Karl Nielsen, Janis Haaf, Christine Bonaccorso, Yanyan Li, David S Weinberg

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

CONTEXT: The established relationship between lymph node metastasis and prognosis in colorectal cancer suggests that recurrence in 25% of patients with lymph nodes free of tumor cells by histopathology (pN0) reflects the presence of occult metastases. Guanylyl cyclase 2C (GUCY2C) is a marker expressed by colorectal tumors that could reveal occult metastases in lymph nodes and better estimate recurrence risk.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of occult lymph node metastases detected by quantifying GUCY2C messenger RNA, using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, with recurrence and survival in patients with colorectal cancer.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospective study of 257 patients …

Dna Instability In Replicating Huntington's Disease Lymphoblasts, Milena Cannella, Vittorio Maglione, Tiziana Martino, Giuseppe Ragona, Luigi Frati, Guo-Min Li, Ferdinando Squitieri

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The expanded CAG repeat in the Huntington's disease (HD) gene may display tissue-specific variability (e.g. triplet mosaicism) in repeat length, the longest mutations involving mitotic (germ and glial cells) and postmitotic (neurons) cells. What contributes to the triplet mutability underlying the development of HD nevertheless remains unknown. We investigated whether, besides the increased DNA instability documented in postmitotic neurons, possible environmental and genetic mechanisms, related to cell replication, may concur to determine CAG repeat mutability. To test this hypothesis we used, as a model, cultured HD patients' lymphoblasts with various CAG repeat lengths.

RESULTS: Although most lymphoblastoid cell lines …

Facilitated Monocyte-Macrophage Uptake And Tissue Distribution Of Superparmagnetic Iron-Oxide Nanoparticles., Arnaud Beduneau, Zhiya Ma, Cassi B. Grotepas, Alexander Kabanov, Barrett E. Rabinow, Nan Gong, R. Lee Mosley, Huanyu Dou, Michael D. Boska, Howard Gendelman

Journal Articles: Radiology

BACKGROUND: We posit that the same mononuclear phagocytes (MP) that serve as target cells and vehicles for a host of microbial infections can be used to improve diagnostics and drug delivery. We also theorize that physical and biological processes such as particle shape, size, coating and opsonization that affect MP clearance of debris and microbes can be harnessed to facilitate uptake of nanoparticles (NP) and tissue delivery.

METHODS: Monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) were used as vehicles of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) NP and immunoglobulin (IgG) or albumin coated SPIO for studies of uptake and distribution. IgG coated SPIO was …

Remission And Recovery In The Treatment For Adolescents With Depression Study (Tads): Acute And Long-Term Outcomes., Betsy D. Kennard, Susan G. Silva, Simon Tonev, Paul Rohde, Jennifer L. Hughes, Benedetto Vitiello, Christopher J. Kratochvil, John F. Curry, Graham J. Emslie, Mark Reinecke, John March

Journal Articles: Psychiatry

OBJECTIVE: We examine remission rate probabilities, recovery rates, and residual symptoms across 36 weeks in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS).

METHOD: The TADS, a multisite clinical trial, randomized 439 adolescents with major depressive disorder to 12 weeks of treatment with fluoxetine, cognitive-behavioral therapy, their combination, or pill placebo. The pill placebo group, treated openly after week 12, was not included in the subsequent analyses. Treatment differences in remission rates and probabilities of remission over time are compared. Recovery rates in remitters at weeks 12 (acute phase remitters) and 18 (continuation phase remitters) are summarized. We also examined …

Endothelial Progenitor Cell Number And Colony-Forming Capacity In Overweight And Obese Adults, O J Maceneaney, E J Kushner, Gary P. Van Guilder, J J Greiner, B L Stauffer, C A Desouza

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether adiposity influences endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) number and colony-forming capacity.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of normal weight, overweight and obese adult humans.
PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-seven sedentary adults (aged 45-65 years): 25 normal weight (body mass index (BMI) or=30 kg/m(2); 18 males/6 females). All participants were non-smokers and free of overt cardiometabolic disease.
MEASUREMENTS: Peripheral blood samples were collected and circulating EPC number was assessed by flow cytometry. Putative EPCs were defined as CD45(-)/CD34(+)/VEGFR-2(+)/CD133(+) or CD45(-)/CD34(+) cells. EPC colony-forming capacity was measured in vitro using a colony-forming unit (CFU) assay.
RESULTS: Number of circulating putative EPCs (either CD45(-)/CD34(+)/VEGFR-2(+)/CD133(+) or …

Atorvastatin May Have No Effect On Acute Phase Reaction In Children After Intravenous Bisphosphonate Infusion., Tarak Srivastava, Connie J. Haney, Uri S. Alon

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Intravenous bisphosphonate therapy is associated with acute phase reaction characterized by fever and musculoskeletal pain. Bisphosphonates have been shown in vitro to activate gammadeltaT-cells to proliferate and produce cytokines, suggesting a role in acute phase reaction, which can be effectively blocked by statins. We conducted a double-blind randomized crossover placebo controlled study in 12 children (12.1 +/- 4.2 yr; 10 girls and 2 boys) receiving intravenous bisphosphonates to evaluate whether statins can be used to prevent acute phase reaction associated with therapy. Children received two cycles given 3-4 mo apart of intravenous bisphosphonate given on 2 consecutive days in each …

Multiple Independent Genetic Factors At Nos1ap Modulate The Qt Interval In A Multi-Ethnic Population, Dan E. Arking, Amit Khera, Chao Xing, W H Linda Kao, Wendy Post, Eric Boerwinkle, Aravinda Chakravarti

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Extremes of electrocardiographic QT interval are associated with increased risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD); thus, identification and characterization of genetic variants that modulate QT interval may elucidate the underlying etiology of SCD. Previous studies have revealed an association between a common genetic variant in NOS1AP and QT interval in populations of European ancestry, but this finding has not been extended to other ethnic populations. We sought to characterize the effects of NOS1AP genetic variants on QT interval in the multi-ethnic population-based Dallas Heart Study (DHS, n = 3,072). The SNP most strongly associated with QT interval in previous samples …

Mitostatin, A Putative Tumor Suppressor On Chromosome 12q24.1, Is Downregulated In Human Bladder And Breast Cancer., A Vecchione, M Fassan, V Anesti, A Morrione, S Goldoni, G Baldassarre, D Byrne, D D'Arca, J P Palazzo, J Lloyd, L Scorrano, L G Gomella, R V Iozzo, R Baffa

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

Allelic deletions on human chromosome 12q24 are frequently reported in a variety of malignant neoplasms, indicating the presence of a tumor suppressor gene(s) in this chromosomal region. However, no reasonable candidate has been identified so far. In this study, we report the cloning and functional characterization of a novel mitochondrial protein with tumor suppressor activity, henceforth designated MITOSTATIN. Human MITOSTATIN was found within a 3.2-kb transcript, which encoded a approximately 62 kDa, ubiquitously expressed protein with little homology to any known protein. We found homozygous deletions and mutations of MITOSTATIN gene in approximately 5 and approximately 11% of various cancer-derived …

Aging And Endothelial Progenitor Cell Telomere Length In Healthy Men, Erich J Kushner, Gary P. Van Guilder, Owen J Maceneaney, Jennifer N Cech, Brian L Stauffer, Christopher A Desouza

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Telomere length declines with age in mature endothelial cells and is thought to contribute to endothelial dysfunction and atherogenesis. Bone marrow-derived circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are critical to vascular health as they contribute to both reendothelialization and neovascularization. We tested the hypothesis that EPC telomere length decreases with age in healthy adult humans.

METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 40 healthy, non-obese, sedentary men: 12 young (age 21-34 years), 12 middle-aged (43-55 years) and 16 older (57-68 years). Putative EPCs were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and telomere length was determined using genomic DNA preparation and …

Genetic And Hormonal Factors Modulate Spreading Depression And Transient Hemiparesis In Mouse Models Of Familial Hemiplegic Migraine Type 1, Katharina Eikermann-Haerter, Ergin Dileköz, Chiho Kudo, Sean I Savitz, Christian Waeber, Michael J Baum, Michel D Ferrari, Arn M J M Van Den Maagdenberg, Michael A Moskowitz, Cenk Ayata

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 (FHM1) is an autosomal dominant subtype of migraine with aura that is associated with hemiparesis. As with other types of migraine, it affects women more frequently than men. FHM1 is caused by mutations in the CACNA1A gene, which encodes the alpha1A subunit of Cav2.1 channels; the R192Q mutation in CACNA1A causes a mild form of FHM1, whereas the S218L mutation causes a severe, often lethal phenotype. Spreading depression (SD), a slowly propagating neuronal and glial cell depolarization that leads to depression of neuronal activity, is the most likely cause of migraine aura. Here, we have …

Roses That Grew From The Concrete: A Critical Investigation Of The Intersection Of Race And Gender On The Lived Experiences Of African American Male Senior Student Affairs Officers At Predominately White Institutions, Rahmon S. Hart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite past efforts to address the racial disparities that exist in the higher education workforce, African American male Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAOs) are dramatically underrepresented at predominately White institutions of higher education (PWIs). The lived experiences of this unique group of African Americans have been ignored in the empirical literature. The main research question that guided this study was the following: How does the intersection of race and gender influence the experiences of African American male SSAOs at PWIs? A particular focus of this research was to gain a better understanding of how African American male SSAOs experience and …

Aging And Endothelial Progenitor Cell Telomere Length In Healthy Men, Erich J Kushner, Gary Van Guilder, Owen J Maceneaney, Jennifer N Cech, Brian L Stauffer, Christopher A Desouza

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Telomere length declines with age in mature endothelial cells and is thought to contribute to endothelial dysfunction and atherogenesis. Bone marrow-derived circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are critical to vascular health as they contribute to both reendothelialization and neovascularization. We tested the hypothesis that EPC telomere length decreases with age in healthy adult humans.
METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 40 healthy, non-obese, sedentary men: 12 young (age 21-34 years), 12 middle-aged (43-55 years) and 16 older (57-68 years). Putative EPCs were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and telomere length was determined using genomic DNA preparation and …

Activity Loss Is Associated With Cognitive Decline In Age-Related Macular Degeneration., Barry W. Rovner, Robin J. Casten, Benjamin E. Leiby, William S. Tasman

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND/METHODS: The objective of this study was to determine whether relinquishing cognitive, physical, and social activities is associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We conducted a 3-year longitudinal study of 206 nondemented patients with AMD.

RESULTS: Twenty-three subjects (14.4%) declined cognitively. Age, sex, education, decline in visual acuity, and number of dropped activities were associated with cognitive decline; each additional dropped activity increased the risk by 58%. Subjects who relinquished three activities were 3.87 times (95% confidence interval, 1.95-7.76) more likely to become demented than subjects who relinquished no activities; those …