Digital Commons Network^™

Non Melanoma Skin Cancer And Subsequent Cancer Risk, Judy R. Rees, M. Scot Zens, Jiang Gui, Maria O. Celaya, Bruce L. Riddle, Margaret R. Karagas

Dartmouth Scholarship

Introduction:

Several studies have shown an increased risk of cancer after non melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) but the individual risk factors underlying this risk have not been elucidated, especially in relation to sun exposure and skin sensitivity to sunlight.

Purpose:

Methods:

Understanding The Power Of Perinatal Events And Metabolic Status In Childhood., Bonita Falkner, Julie Ingelfinger

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Resistant Starch Type 4-Enriched Diet Lowered Blood Cholesterols And Improved Body Composition In A Double Blind Controlled Cross-Over Intervention, Sailendra N Nichenametla, Lee A. Weidauer, Howard Wey, Tianna Beare, Bonny Specker, Moul Dey

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

A metabolic health crisis is evident as cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the leading cause of mortality in the United States. Effects of resistant starch type 4 (RS4), a prebiotic fiber, in comprehensive management of metabolic syndrome (MetS) remain unknown. This study examined the effects of a blinded exchange of RS4-enriched flour (30% v/v) with regular/control flour (CF) diet on multiple MetS comorbidities. In a double blind (participants-investigators), placebo-controlled, cluster cross-over intervention (n = 86, age≥18, 2-12 week interventions, 2-week washout) in the United States, individuals were classified as having MetS (With-MetS) or not (No-MetS) following International Diabetes Federation (IDF)-criteria. RS4 …

Lean Body Mass May Explain Apparent Racial Differences In Carotid Intima-Media Thickness In Obese Children., Shahryar M. Chowdhury, Melissa H. Henshaw, Brad Friedman, J Philip Saul, Girish S. Shirali, Janet Carter, Bryana M. Levitan, Tom Hulsey

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Background: Racial differences in carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) have been suggested to be associated with the disproportionally high prevalence of cardiovascular disease in black adults. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of cardiovascular risk factors on the racial differences seen in cIMT in obese children.

Methods: Obese subjects aged 4 to 21 years were recruited prospectively. Height, weight, blood pressure, fasting insulin, glucose, lipid panel, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and body composition by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry were obtained. B-mode carotid imaging was analyzed by a single blinded physician.

Results: A total of 120 subjects (46 white, 74 …

Bisphenol A Increases Atherosclerosis In Pregnane X Receptor-Humanized Apoe Deficient Mice, Yipeng Sui, Se-Hyung Park, Robert N. Helsley, Manjula Sunkara, Frank J. Gonzalez, Andrew J. Morris, Changcheng Zhou

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a base chemical used extensively in many consumer products. BPA has recently been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in multiple large-scale human population studies, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We previously reported that BPA activates the pregnane X receptor (PXR), which acts as a xenobiotic sensor to regulate xenobiotic metabolism and has pro-atherogenic effects in animal models upon activation. Interestingly, BPA is a potent agonist of human PXR but does not activate mouse or rat PXR signaling, which confounds the use of rodent models to evaluate mechanisms of BPA-mediated CVD risk. …

Metformin Inhibits Androgen-Induced Igf-Ir Up-Regulation In Prostate Cancer Cells By Disrupting Membrane-Initiated Androgen Signaling., Roberta Malaguarnera, Antonella Sacco, Alaide Morcavallo, Sebastiano Squatrito, Antimo Migliaccio, Andrea Morrione, Marcello Maggiolini, Antonino Belfiore

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

We have previously demonstrated that, in prostate cancer cells, androgens up-regulate IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) by inducing cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) activation and CREB-dependent IGF-IR gene transcription through androgen receptor (AR)-dependent membrane-initiated effects. This IGF-IR up-regulation is not blocked by classical antiandrogens and sensitizes cells to IGF-I-induced biological effects. Metformin exerts complex antitumoral functions in various models and may inhibit CREB activation in hepatocytes. We, therefore, evaluated whether metformin may affect androgen-dependent IGF-IR up-regulation. In the AR(+) LNCaP prostate cancer cells, we found that metformin inhibits androgen-induced CRE activity and IGF-IR gene transcription. CRE activity requires the formation of a CREB-CREB …

Prevalence Of Small-For-Gestational Age And Its Mortality Risk Varies By Choice Of Birth-Weight-For-Gestation Reference Population, Joanne D. Katz, Lauren A. Wu, Luke C. Mullany, Christian L. Coles, Anne C.C. Lee, Naoko Kozuki, James M. Tielsch

Global Health Faculty Publications

Background

We use data from rural Nepal and South India to compare the prevalence of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and neonatal mortality risk associated with SGA using different birth-weight-for-gestation reference populations.

Methods

We identified 46 reference populations in low-, middle-, and high-income countries, of which 26 met the inclusion criteria of being commonly cited and having numeric 10th percentile cut points published. Those reference populations were then applied to populations from two community-based studies to determine SGA prevalence and its relative risk of neonatal mortality.

Results

The prevalence of SGA ranged from 10.5% to 72.5% in Nepal, and 12.0% to 78.4% in …

Variation In Feeding Practices Following The Norwood Procedure., Linda M. Lambert, Nancy A. Pike, Barbara Medoff-Cooper, Victor Zak, Victoria L. Pemberton, Lisa Young-Borkowski, Martha L. Clabby, Kathryn N. Nelson, Richard G. Ohye, Bethany Trainor, Karen Uzark, Nancy Rudd, Louise Bannister, Rosalind Korsin, David S. Cooper, Christian Pizarro, Sinai C. Zyblewski, Bronwyn H. Bartle, Richard V. Williams, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: To assess variation in feeding practice at hospital discharge after the Norwood procedure, factors associated with tube feeding, and associations among site, feeding mode, and growth before stage II.

STUDY DESIGN: From May 2005 to July 2008, 555 subjects from 15 centers were enrolled in the Pediatric Heart Network Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial; 432 survivors with feeding data at hospital discharge after the Norwood procedure were analyzed.

RESULTS: Demographic and clinical variables were compared among 4 feeding modes: oral only (n = 140), oral/tube (n = 195), nasogastric tube (N-tube) only (n = 40), and gastrostomy tube (G-tube) only …

A Prospective, Multicenter, Phase I Matched-Comparison Group Trial Of Safety, Pharmacokinetics, And Preliminary Efficacy Of Riluzole In Patients With Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury., Robert G Grossman, Michael G Fehlings, Ralph F Frankowski, Keith D Burau, Diana S L Chow, Charles Tator, Angela Teng, Elizabeth G Toups, James Harrop, Bizhan Aarabi, Christopher I Shaffrey, Michele M Johnson, Susan J Harkema, Maxwell Boakye, James D Guest, Jefferson R Wilson

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

A prospective, multicenter phase I trial was undertaken by the North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN) to investigate the pharmacokinetics and safety of, as well as obtain pilot data on, the effects of riluzole on neurological outcome in acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Thirty-six patients, with ASIA impairment grades A-C (28 cervical and 8 thoracic) were enrolled at 6 NACTN sites between April 2010 and June 2011. Patients received 50 mg of riluzole PO/NG twice-daily, within 12 h of SCI, for 14 days. Peak and trough plasma concentrations were quantified on days 3 and 14. Peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and …

Multiple Epidural Steroid Injections And Body Mass Index Linked With Occurrence Of Epidural Lipomatosis: A Case Series., Rafael Jaimes, Angelo G. Rocco

Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

Epidural lipomatosis (EL) is an increase of adipose tissue, normally occurring in the epidural space, sufficient to distort the thecal sac and compress neural elements. There is a lack of knowledge of risk factors, impact on patient's symptoms, and its possible association with epidural steroid injections.

METHODS:

History, physical examination, patient chart, and MRI were analyzed from 856 outpatients referred for epidural steroid injections. Seventy patients with signs of EL on MRI comprised the study group. Thirty-four randomly selected patients comprised the control group. The severity of EL was determined by the MRI assessment. The impact of EL was …

Aspirin Use And Knowledge In The Community: A Population- And Health Facility Based Survey For Measuring Local Health System Performance., Gregory A Roth, Catherine W. Gillespie, Ali A Mokdad, Danny D Shen, David W Fleming, Andy Stergachis, Christopher J L Murray, Ali H Mokdad

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relationship between cardiovascular risk, disease and actual use of aspirin in the community.

METHODS: The Measuring Disparities in Chronic Conditions (MDCC) study is a community and health facility-based survey designed to track disparities in the delivery of health interventions for common chronic diseases. MDCC includes a survey instrument designed to collect detailed information about aspirin use. In King County, WA between 2011 and 2012, we surveyed 4633 white, African American, or Hispanic adults (45% home address-based sample, 55% health facility sample). We examined self-reported counseling on, frequency of use and risks of aspirin for …

The Effectiveness Of Telemedicine For Weight Management In The Move! Program, April D. Ahrendt, Kendra K. Kattelmann, Thomas S. Rector, David A Maddox

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: To examine the effectiveness of videoconferencing technology for delivering comprehensive weight management treatment.
METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted by extraction of data from medical records for the years 2008-2010. The treatment included a series of 12 weekly MOVE!® classes delivered using videoconferencing. Data were extracted from the time of baseline weight to 1 year after baseline weight for the MOVE! participants (n = 60) and from a concurrent control group (n = 60) that did not participate in MOVE! treatment.
FINDINGS: Results indicated that the MOVE! group lost weight while the control group gained weight, resulting in …

Factors Associated With Diabetes-Related Distress: Implications For Diabetes Self-Management., Jana L. Wardian Phd, Fei Sun

Journal Articles: Hospital Medicine

As 7.8% of the U.S. population is affected by diabetes, health care providers are tasked with providing resources to assist patients toward self-management. Psychosocial issues have an effect on diabetes self-care. Diabetes-related distress is associated with self-management and lower A1C. This cross-sectional study seeks to understand how demographic factors, psychological orientations, support, and diabetes management behaviors predict diabetes-related distress. This study uses data from 267 adults with Type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) is a 17-item scale measuring diabetes-related distress including emotional distress, physician-related distress, regimen distress, and interpersonal distress. Hierarchical regression was conducted in four stages. The …

A Divisive Shuffling Approach (Vista) For Gene Expression Analysis To Identify Subtypes In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Jörg Menche, Amitabh Sharma, Michael H. Cho, Ruth J. Mayer, Stephen I. Rennard, Bartolome Celli, Bruce E. Miller, Nick Locantore, Ruth Tal-Singer, Soumitra Ghosh, Chris Larminie, Glyn Bradley, John H. Riley, Alvar Agusti, Edwin K. Silverman, Albert-László Barabási

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: An important step toward understanding the biological mechanisms underlying a complex disease is a refined understanding of its clinical heterogeneity. Relating clinical and molecular differences may allow us to define more specific subtypes of patients that respond differently to therapeutic interventions.

RESULTS: We developed a novel unbiased method called diVIsive Shuffling Approach (VIStA) that identifies subgroups of patients by maximizing the difference in their gene expression patterns. We tested our algorithm on 140 subjects with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and found four distinct, biologically and clinically meaningful combinations of clinical characteristics that are associated with large gene expression …

Metals In Commonly Eaten Groceries In Western Australia: A Market Basket Survey And Dietary Assessment, Anna Callan, Andrea Hinwood, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Children’s dietary exposure to metals has received limited attention in Australia. This study undertook a market basket survey and analysed 253 food and beverages for metals. These data were used in conjunction with recent average diet data for children in Western Australia to model dietary metals exposure, with mean metals intakes calculated for boys and girls aged 8, 12, 13 and 16 years. Results show that for some metals, including cadmium, nickel and manganese, dietary intake guidelines have been exceeded in younger children. The mean modelled cadmium intake in children aged 8 years was almost 60% of the World Health …

Risk Factors For Cerebrovascular Disease Mortality Among The Elderly In Beijing: A Competing Risk Analysis, Zhe Tang, Tao Zhou, Yanxia Luo, Changchun Xie, Da Huo, Lixin Tao, Lei Pan, Fei Sun, Huiping Zhu, Xinghua Yang, Wei Wang, Aoshuang Yan, Xia Li, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: To examine the associations of combined lifestyle factors and physical conditions with cerebrovascular diseases (CBVD) mortality, after accounting for competing risk events, including death from cardiovascular diseases, cancers and other diseases. Methods: Data on 2010 subjects aged over 55 years were finally analyzed using competing risk models. All the subjects were interviewed by the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), in China, between 1 January 1992 and 30 August 2009. Results: Elderly females were at a lower risk of death from CBVD than elderly males (HR = 0.639, 95% CI = 0.457-0.895). Increasing age (HR = 1.543, 95% CI …

Iron Status And The Acute Post-Exercise Hepcidin Response In Athletes, Peter Peeling, Marc Sim, Claire E. Badenhorst, Brian Dawson, Andrew D. Govus, Chris R. Abbiss, Dorine W. Swinkels, Debbie Trinder

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study explored the relationship between serum ferritin and hepcidin in athletes. Baseline serum ferritin levels of 54 athletes from the control trial of five investigations conducted in our laboratory were considered; athletes were grouped according to values 100 mg/L (SF>100). Data pooling resulted in each athlete completing one of five running sessions: (1) 8x3 min at 85% vVO2peak; (2) 5x4 min at 90% vVO2peak; (3) 90 min continuous at 75% vVO2peak; (4) 40 min continuous at 75% vVO 2peak; (5) 40 min continuous at 65% vVO2peak. Athletes from each running session were represented amongst all four groups; hence, …

Improving Sexual Health In Men With Prostate Cancer: Randomised Controlled Trial Of Exercise And Psychosexual Therapies, Prue Cormie, Suzanne K. Chambers, Robert U. Newton, Robert A. Gardiner, Nigel Spry, Dennis R. Taaffe, David Joseph, M Akhlil Hamid, Peter Chong, David Hughes, Kyra Hamilton, Daniel A. Galvão

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Despite being a critical survivorship care issue, there is a clear gap in current knowledge of the optimal treatment of sexual dysfunction in men with prostate cancer. There is sound theoretical rationale and emerging evidence that exercise may be an innovative therapy to counteract sexual dysfunction in men with prostate cancer. Furthermore, despite the multidimensional aetiology of sexual dysfunction, there is a paucity of research investigating the efficacy of integrated treatment models. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to: 1) examine the efficacy of exercise as a therapy to aid in the management of sexual dysfunction in men …

An Anemia Of Alzheimer's Disease, N G. Faux, A Rembach, J Wiley, K A. Ellis, D Ames, C J. Fowler, Ralph N. Martins, K K. Pertile, R L. Rumble, B Trounson, C L. Masters, A I. Bush

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Lower hemoglobin is associated with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since brain iron homeostasis is perturbed in AD, we investigated whether this is peripherally reflected in the hematological and related blood chemistry values from the Australian Imaging Biomarker and Lifestyle (AIBL) study (a community-based, cross-sectional cohort comprising 768 healthy controls (HC), 133 participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 211 participants with AD). We found that individuals with AD had significantly lower hemoglobin, mean cell hemoglobin concentrations, packed cell volume and higher erythrocyte sedimentation rates (adjusted for age, gender, APOE-ε4 and site). In AD, plasma iron, transferrin, transferrin saturation …

The Reliability Of An Adolescent Dietary Pattern Identified Using Reduced-Rank Regression: Comparison Of A Ffq And 3 D Food Record, Geeta Appannah, Gerda K. Pot, Therese A. O'Sullivan, Wendy H. Oddy, Susan A. Jebb, Gina L. Ambrosini

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Despite the increasing use of dietary patterns (DP) to study diet and health outcomes, relatively few studies have examined the reliability of DP using different dietary assessment methods. Reduced-rank regression (RRR) is an emerging statistical method that incorporates a priori information to characterise DP related to specific outcomes of interest. The aim of the present study was to compare DP identified using the RRR method in a FFQ with those in a 3 d food record (FR). Participants were 783 adolescents from the Western Australian Pregnancy (Raine) Cohort Study who completed both a FFQ and FR at 14 years of …

Self-Regulating Smoking And Snacking Through Physical Activity., Hwajung Oh, Adrian H. Taylor

Peninsula Medical School

OBJECTIVE: Emotional snacking contributes to weight gain after smoking cessation. Exercise acutely reduces cravings for cigarettes and snack food. This study examined if different exercise intensities acutely reduces snack and cigarette cravings and attentional bias (AB) to video clips of snacks and cigarettes among abstinent smokers. METHODS: Abstinent smokers (and snackers; N = 23) randomly did 15 mins of moderate and vigorous cycling and a passive control in a cross-over design. Visual initial AB (IAB) and maintained AB (MAB) were assessed pre- and after treatment while watching paired snacking/neutral or smoking/neutral video clips. Desire to snack and smoke were assessed …

Inflammatory Cytokine Gene Expression In Mesenteric Adipose Tissue During Acute Experimental Colitis, William Conan Mustain, Marlene E. Starr, Joseph Daniel Valentino, Donald A. Cohen, Daiki Okamura, Chi Wang, B. Mark Evers, Hiroshi Saito

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Production of inflammatory cytokines by mesenteric adipose tissue (MAT) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Animal models of colitis have demonstrated inflammatory changes within MAT, but it is unclear if these changes occur in isolation or as part of a systemic adipose tissue response. It is also unknown what cell types are responsible for cytokine production within MAT. The present study was designed to determine whether cytokine production by MAT during experimental colitis is depot-specific, and also to identify the source of cytokine production within MAT.

METHODS: Experimental colitis was induced in 6-month-old C57BL/6 …

Primary Care And Youth Mental Health In Ireland: Qualitative Study In Deprived Urban Areas, Dorothy Leahy, Elisabeth Schaffalitzky, Claire Armstrong, Gerard Bury, Paula Cussen-Murphy, Rachel Davis, Barbara Dooley, Blanaid Gavin, Rory Keane, Eamon Keenan, Linda Latham, David Meagher, Pat Mcgorry, Fiona Mcnicholas, Ray O'Connor, Ellen O'Dea, Veronica O'Keane, Tom P. O'Toole, Edel Reilly, Patrick Ryan, Lena Sanci, Bobby P. Smyth, Walter Cullen

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Mental disorders account for six of the 20 leading causes of disability worldwide with a very high prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in youth aged 15-24 years. However, healthcare professionals are faced with many challenges in the identification and treatment of mental and substance use disorders in young people (e.g. young people's unwillingness to seek help from healthcare professionals, lack of training, limited resources etc.) The challenge of youth mental health for primary care is especially evident in urban deprived areas, where rates of and risk factors for mental health problems are especially common. There is an emerging consensus that …

Association Between In Utero Arsenic Exposure, Placental Gene Expression, And Infant Birth Weight: A Us Birth Cohort Study, Dennis Liang Fei, Devin C. Koestler, Zhigang Li, Camilla Giambelli, Avencia Sanchez-Mejias, Julie Gosse, Carmen J. Marsit, Margaret R. Karagas, David J. Robbins

Dartmouth Scholarship

Epidemiologic studies and animal models suggest that in utero arsenic exposure affects fetal health, with a negative association between maternal arsenic ingestion and infant birth weight often observed. However, the molecular mechanisms for this association remain elusive. In the present study, we aimed to increase our understanding of the impact of low-dose arsenic exposure on fetal health by identifying possible arsenic-associated fetal tissue biomarkers in a cohort of pregnant women exposed to arsenic at low levels.

Methods: Arsenic concentrations were determined from the urine samples of a cohort of 133 pregnant women from New Hampshire. Placental tissue samples collected from …

Diet And Toenail Arsenic Concentrations In A New Hampshire Population With Arsenic-Containing Water, Kathryn L. Cottingham, Roxanne Karimi, Joann F. Gruber, M Scot Zens, Vicki Sayarath, Carol L. Folt, Tracy Punshon, J. Steven Morris, Margaret R. Karagas

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Limited data exist on the contribution of dietary sources of arsenic to an individual's total exposure, particularly in populations with exposure via drinking water. Here, the association between diet and toenail arsenic concentrations (a long-term biomarker of exposure) was evaluated for individuals with measured household tap water arsenic. Foods known to be high in arsenic, including rice and seafood, were of particular interest.

Methods: Associations between toenail arsenic and consumption of 120 individual diet items were quantified using general linear models that also accounted for household tap water arsenic and potentially confounding factors (e.g., age, caloric intake, sex, smoking) …

Household Wealth And Neurocognitive Development Disparities Among School-Aged Children In Nepal., Shivani A Patel, Laura E Murray-Kolb, Steven C Leclerq, Subarna K Khatry, James M. Tielsch, Joanne Katz, Parul Christian

Global Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Wealth disparities in child developmental outcomes are well documented in developed countries. We sought to (1) describe the extent of wealth-based neurocognitive development disparities and (2) examine potential mediating factors of disparities among a population-based cohort of children in rural Nepal.

METHODS: We investigated household wealth-based differences in intellectual, executive and motor function of n = 1692 children aged between 7 and 9 years in Nepal. Using linear mixed models, wealth-based differences were estimated before and after controlling for child and household demographic characteristics. We further examined wealth-based differences adjusted for three sets of mediators: child nutritional status, home …

Recommendations For High-Priority Research On Cancer-Related Fatigue In Children And Adults., Andrea M. Barsevick, Michael R. Irwin, Pamela Hinds, Andrew Miller, Ann Berger, Paul Jacobsen, Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Bryce B Reeve, Karen Mustian, Ann O'Mara, Jin-Shei Lai, Michael Fisch, David Cella

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Over the past decades, some scientific progress has been made in understanding and treating cancer-related fatigue (CRF). However, three major problems have limited further progress: lack of agreement about measurement, inadequate understanding of the underlying biology, and problems in the conduct of clinical trials for CRF. This commentary reports the recommendations of a National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Planning Meeting and an ongoing National Cancer Institute working group to address these problems so that high-priority research and clinical trials can be conducted to advance the science of CRF and its treatment. Recommendations to address measurement issues included revising the current …

The Effect Of Malnutrition On Patients Undergoing Elective Joint Arthroplasty., Ronald Huang, Md, Max Greenky, Bs, Glenn J. Kerr, Md, Mathew S. Austin, Md, Javad Parvizi, Md, Frcs

Rothman Institute Papers

Malnutrition has been linked to serious complications in patients undergoing elective total joint arthroplasty (TJA). This study prospectively evaluated 2,161 patients undergoing elective TJA for malnutrition as defined by either an abnormal serum albumin or transferrin. The overall incidence of malnutrition was 8.5% (184 of 2,161) and the rate of overall complications in the malnourished group was 12% as compared to 2.9% in patients with normal parameters (P55years-old undergoing TJA and is associated with a significant increase in post-operative complications.

Autophagy Is Involved In Oligodendroglial Precursor-Mediated Clearance Of Amyloid Peptide, Wenxia Li, Yifen Tang, Zhiqin Fan, Ya Meng, Guang Yang, Jia Luo, Zun-Ji Ke

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Accumulation of β-amyloid peptides is an important hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tremendous efforts have been directed to elucidate the mechanisms of β-amyloid peptides degradation and develop strategies to remove β-amyloid accumulation. In this study, we demonstrated that a subpopulation of oligodendroglial precursor cells, also called NG2 cells, were a new cell type that can clear β-amyloid peptides in the AD transgene mice and in NG2 cell line.

RESULTS: NG2 cells were recruited and clustered around the amyloid plaque in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mice, which is Alzheimer's disease mouse model. In vitro, NG2 cell line and primary NG2 cells engulfed …

Population Cancer Risks Associated With Coal Mining: A Systematic Review, Wiley D. Jenkins, W. Jay Christian, Georgia Mueller, K. Thomas Robbins

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Coal is produced across 25 states and provides 42% of US energy. With production expected to increase 7.6% by 2035, proximate populations remain at risk of exposure to carcinogenic coal products such as silica dust and organic compounds. It is unclear if population exposure is associated with increased risk, or even which cancers have been studied in this regard.

METHODS: We performed a systematic review of English-language manuscripts published since 1980 to determine if coal mining exposure was associated with increased cancer risk (incidence and mortality).

RESULTS: Of 34 studies identified, 27 studied coal mining as an occupational exposure …