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Language Development Across The Life Span: A Neuropsychological/Neuroimaging Perspective, Monica Rosselli, Alfredo Ardilla, Esmeralda Matute, Idaly Velez-Uribe

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Language development has been correlated with specific changes in brain development. The aim of this paper is to analyze the linguistic-brain associations that occur from birth through senescence. Findings from the neuropsychological and neuroimaging literature are reviewed, and the relationship of language changes observable in human development and the corresponding brain maturation processes across age groups are examined. Two major dimensions of language development are highlighted: naming (considered amajormeasure of lexical knowledge) and verbal fluency (regarded as amajormeasure of language production ability). Developmental changes in the brain lateralization of language are discussed, emphasizing that in early life there is an …

Random Sample Community-Based Health Surveys: Does The Effort To Reach Participants Matter?, Antoine Messiah, Grettel Castro, Pura Rodríguez De La Vega, Juan M. Acuna

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Objectives Conducting health surveys with community-based random samples are essential to capture an otherwise unreachable population, but these surveys can be biased if the effort to reach participants is insufficient. This study determines the desirable amount of effort to minimise such bias.

Design A household-based health survey with random sampling and face-to-face interviews. Up to 11 visits, organised by canvassing rounds, were made to obtain an interview.

Setting Single-family homes in an underserved and understudied population in North Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA.

Participants Of a probabilistic sample of 2200 household addresses, 30 corresponded to empty lots, 74 were abandoned houses, …

Risk Of Second Cancers In Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis Of Population Based Cohort Studies, Anshul Saxena, Muni Rubens, Venkataraghavan Ramamoorthy, Hafiz M.R. Khan

Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

The risk of second cancers in Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) remains uncertain since risk estimates vary worldwide. The global MCC population is growing and there is a demand for better knowledge of prognosis of this disease. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE, and EMBASE search engines were searched for the relevant literature between January 1999 and September 2014 by use of explicit search criteria. The main outcome was second malignancies associated with MCC patients measured by standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) or other estimates of risks. Five papers fulfilled the inclusion criteria and reported SIRs of second cancer inMCC which …

Gender Differences In The Association Of Hazardous Alcohol Use With Hypertension In An Urban Cohort Of People Living With Hiv In South Florida, María José Míguez-Burbano, Clery Quiros, John E. Lewis, Luis Espinoza, Robert Cook, Allison B. Trainor, Erika Richardson, Deshratn Asthana

School of Integrated Science and Humanity

Objective

Industrialized countries are currently experiencing an epidemic of high blood pressure (HBP) extending to people living with HIV (PLWH). Given the prevalence of hazardous alcohol use (HAU), this study examines the relationship between alcohol consumption and hypertension in PLWH. Including a gender analysis is critical, given the high rates of HAU and HIV among females.

Method

We followed PLWH including both HAU and non-HAU (200 each). Participants were assessed twice for body weight, blood pressure, alcohol consumption, and other BP-associated lifestyle factors. High blood pressure (defined as systolic/diastolic blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg and/or treatment of HBP) was the …

Forgotten Women: Incarceration And Health Concerns Of Minority Women, Chaundra L. Whitehead, Regina Mcdade, Mary Mites-Campbell

South Florida Education Research Conference

Paper Presentation

Understanding Ten-Eleven Translocation-2 In Hematological And Nervous Systems, Feng Pan

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I proposed the study of two distinct aspects of Ten-Eleven Translocation 2 (TET2) protein for understanding specific functions in different body systems.

In Part I, I characterized the molecular mechanisms of Tet2 in the hematological system. As the second member of Ten-Eleven Translocation protein family, TET2 is frequently mutated in leukemic patients. Previous studies have shown that the TET2 mutations frequently occur in 20% myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN), 10% T-cell lymphoma leukemia and 2% B-cell lymphoma leukemia. Genetic mouse models also display distinct phenotypes of various types of hematological malignancies. I performed 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) and RNA …

Β-Amyloid1-42, Hiv-1ba-L (Clade B) Infection And Drugs Of Abuse Induced Degeneration In Human Neuronal Cells And Protective Effects Of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) And Its Constituent Withanolide A, Kesava Rao Venkata Kurapati, Thangavel Samikkannu, Venkata Atluri, Elena Kaftanovskaya, Adriana Yndart, Madhavan Nair

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive dysfunction of memory and higher cognitive functions with abnormal accumulation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles throughout cortical and limbic brain regions. Withania somnifera (WS) also known as ‘ashwagandha’ (ASH) is used widely in Ayurvedic medicine as a nerve tonic and memory enhancer. However, there is paucity of data on potential neuroprotective effects of ASH against β-Amyloid (1–42) (Aβ) induced neuropathogenesis. In the present study, we have tested the neuroprotective effects of Methanol: Chloroform (3:1) extract of ASH and its constituent Withanolide A (WA) against Aβ induced toxicity, HIV-1_Ba-L (clade …

A State And Territorial Survey Regarding Utilization Of Environmental Health Shelter Assessments During Disasters, And A Secondary Analysis Of Available Shelter Assessment Data, Miguel A. Cruz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disasters are complex events characterized by damage to key infrastructure and population displacements into disaster shelters. Assessing the living environment in shelters during disasters is a crucial health security concern. Until now, jurisdictional knowledge and preparedness on those assessment methods, or deficiencies found in shelters is limited. A cross-sectional survey (STUSA survey) ascertained knowledge and preparedness for those assessments in all 50 states, DC, and 5 US territories. Descriptive analysis of overall knowledge and preparedness was performed. Fisher’s exact statistics analyzed differences between two groups: jurisdiction type and population size. Two logistic regression models analyzed earthquakes and hurricane risks as …

Investigating The Outcomes Of A Physical Activity Program Offered To Older Adults In South Florida And Understanding The Correlates Of Completion, Anamica Batra

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity, in 2012, only 37.5% of older adults aged 60 years or older met recommended aerobic physical activity levels and 16.1% met muscle-strengthening guidelines. Effective exercise programs can help combat the problem of inactivity but 50% of those who start participating in an exercise program drop out within first few weeks, preventing them from gaining any health benefits.

Since fall 2008, the Healthy Aging Regional Collaborative of South Florida has offered EnhanceFitness (EF), an evidence-based physical activity program to older adults. This dissertation compared EF effectiveness at 4-, 8-, and 12-months and examined the …

Hearing The Child's Voice: Their Lived Experience In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Andrea S. Prentiss

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: More than 200,000 children are admitted annually to Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) in the US. Research has shown young children can provide insight into their hospitalization experiences; child reports rather than parental reports are critical to understanding the child’s experience. Information relating to children’s perceptions while still in the PICU is scarce.

Aims: The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate school age children’s and adolescents’ perceptions of PICU while in the PICU; changes in perceptions after transfer to the General Care Unit (GCU); differences in perceptions of school age children/adolescents and those with more invasive procedures. …

The Influence Of Gene Environment Interaction On The Risk Of Cognitive Impairment: Reducing Sexual Risk Behaviors And Alcohol Use In Hiv-Infected Adults, Karina Villalba Phd

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Memory deficits and executive dysfunction are highly prevalent among HIV-infected adults. These conditions can affect their quality of life, antiretroviral adherence, and HIV risk behaviors. Several factors have been suggested including the role of genetics in relation to HIV disease progression. This dissertation aimed to determine whether genetic differences in HIV-infected individuals were correlated with impaired memory, cognitive flexibility and executive function and whether cognitive decline moderated alcohol use and sexual transmission risk behaviors among HIV-infected alcohol abusers participating in an NIH-funded clinical trial comparing the efficacy of the adapted Holistic Health Recovery Program (HHRP-A) intervention to a Health Promotion …

Factors Of Inflammation In Haitian Americans And African Americans With And Without Type 2 Diabetes, Janet Antwi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic low-grade inflammation has been implicated in the processes leading to the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its progression. Non-Hispanic Blacks bear a disproportionate burden of T2D and are highly susceptible to inflammation. This cross-sectional study assessed and compared the serum levels of established adipocytokines; interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), leptin, and novel adipocytokines; chemerin and omentin in Haitian and African Americans with and without T2D. The relationships of these adipocytokines with metabolic syndrome (MetS), anthropometric and HOMA2 measures by ethnicity and diabetes status were also assessed. Serum levels of IL-6, CRP, leptin, chemerin and omentin were determined …

Neuromuscular Changes In Older Adults During The Lateral Step Task, Tatiana Bejarano

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Older adults may have trouble when performing activities of daily living due to decrease in physical strength and degradation of neuromotor and musculoskeletal function. Motor activation patterns during Lateral Step Down and Step Up from 4-inch and 8-inch step heights was assessed in younger (n=8, 24.4 years) and older adults (n=8, 58.9 years) using joint angle kinematics and electromyography of lower extremity muscles. Ground reaction forces were used to ascertain the loading, stabilization and unloading phases of the tasks. Older adults had an altered muscle activation sequence and significantly longer muscle bursts during loading for the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, vastus …

Public Health In The Twenty-First Century: The Role Of Advanced Technologies, Muni Rubens, Venkataraghavan Ramamoorthy, Anshul Saxena, Nanacy Shehadeh

Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Nearly a century ago, Charles-Edward Amory Winslow, defined public health as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health and efficiency through organized community effort” (1). From health policy reforms to scientific advances with many technological innovations, a range of forces are converging to cause a seismic shift in how public health is practiced. We think that in the twenty-first century, global public health system will be completely restructured. Reliance on complex technologies like nanotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI), which were previously only used in fields like computer science and physics, will become the …

Menopause, Rurality, And Obesity In Rural African American Women, Colleen Kilgore

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the US, one in every eight deaths is due to an obesity-related chronic health condition (ORCHC). More than half of African American women (AAW) 20 years old or older are obese or morbidly obese, as are 63% of menopausal AAW. Many have ORCHC that increase their morbidity and mortality and increase health care costs. In 2013, 42.6 percent of AAs living in South Carolina (SC) were obese. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify the cognitive, behavioral, biological, and demographic factors that influence health outcomes (BMI, and ORCHC) of AAW living in rural SC. A sample of …

Exploring Oral Health Problems In Adult Hispanic Migrant Farmworkers: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Claudia A. Serna

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examined patterns of dental health care utilization in adult Hispanic migrant farmworkers (AHMFW) with special emphasis on non-compliance with the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA) recommendation of visiting the dentist at least once a year; while also exploring the group’s social and cultural construction of oral health.

A total of 278 farmworkers responded to a close ended survey. Binary and hierarchical logistic regression analysis were employed in identifying predisposing, enabling, and needs factors associated with non-compliance. Following the survey, fourteen ethnographic interviews were conducted with respondents who volunteered to participate in …

The Prevalence Of The Metabolically Healthy Obese Phenotype In An Aging Population And Its Association With Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease: The Brazilian Study On Healthy Aging, Lara Roberson, Sameer Shaharyar, Ehimen Aneni, Wladimir Freitas, Michael Blaha, Arthur Agatston, Roger Blumenthal, Raul D. Santos, Hamid Feiz, Khurram Nasir, Andrei Sposito

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Background

Current literature has elucidated a new phenotype, metabolically healthy obese (MHO), with risks of cardiovascular disease similar to that of normal weight individuals. Few studies have examined the MHO phenotype in an aging population, especially in association with subclinical CVD.

Research design and methods

This cross sectional study population consisted of 208 octogenarians and older. Anthropometrics, biochemical, and radiological parameters were measured to assess obesity, metabolic health (assessed by the National Cholesterol Education Program –Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP III) criteria), and subclinical measures of CVD.

Results

The prevalence of MHO was 13.5% (N = 28). No significant association with …

Newcomer Status As A Protective Factor Among Hispanic Migrant Workers For Hiv Risk, H. Virginia Mccoy, Nancy Shehadeh, Muni Rubens, Christi M. Navarro

Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

The HIV rate among U.S. migrant workers is 10 times that of the national rate. The highly unstable lifestyle of migrant workers places them at heightened vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections; hence, there is a need to investigate the attitudes and sexual risk factors that may play a protective role in the transmission of HIV in this population. This study examines the association between attitudes and HIV risk behaviors among Hispanic male and female migrant workers (n = 255) and their length of stay (shorter length of stay as a protective factor) in Immokalee, FL, USA. Pearson’s correlation and …

Random Sample Community-Based Health Surveys: Does The Effort To Reach Participants Matter?, Antoine Messiah, Grettel Castro, Pura Rodríguez De La Vega, Juan M. Acuna

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Objectives: Conducting health surveys with community-based random samples are essential to capture an otherwise unreachable population, but these surveys can be biased if the effort to reach participants is insufficient. This study determines the desirable amount of effort to minimise such bias.

Design: A household-based health survey with random sampling and face-to-face interviews. Up to 11 visits, organised by canvassing rounds, were made to obtain an interview. Setting: Single-family homes in an underserved and understudied population in North Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA.

Participants: Of a probabilistic sample of 2200 household addresses, 30 corresponded to empty lots, 74 were abandoned houses, …

Life Experiences Of Youth Who Were Born With Hiv Infection In Puerto Rico: The Voices Of Young Survivors, Georgina Silva-Suarez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) transformed the pediatric HIV epidemic. The disease changed significantly over the course of three decades: while early in the epidemic it was almost always fatal, it has become a chronic condition.

This study examined how perinatally-infected youth experience the impact of HIV in their lives. A qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was conducted. Twenty in-depth interviews were carried out among 12 women and 8 men aged 18 to 30 years in Puerto Rico. These were conducted in Spanish, audio-recorded, transcribed and translated into English. While narrating their experiences, participants were interpreting what …

Uphill Battle: The Saga Of Hcg Research That Led To A Paradigm Shift, C. V. Rao

HWCOM Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Accuracy Constraints On Emg And Kinetic Variables During Gait Initiation, Hyeong-Dong Kim, Denis Brunt, Hyung Dong Je

Department of Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

[Purpose] This study investigated the effects of accuracy constraints (targets) placed on the steppinglimb heel-strike (HS) on the electromyogram (EMG) and ground reaction forces (GRFs) during gait initiation. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty healthy subjects (29.2 ± 2.9 years) were asked to begin walking or stepping over a 10-cm-high obstacle at a fast speed. A 3-cm-diameter target was placed on the ground to dictate the position and accuracy of the stepping-limb HS. [Results] The results showed that the initiation velocity increase in the no-target conditions was due to modulation of the stance- and stepping-limb GRFs and a corresponding increase in the …

Increased Risk Of Childhood Brain Tumors Among Children Whose Parents Had Farm-Related Pesticide Exposures During Pregnancy, Brian Kunkle, S. Bae, K. P. Singh, Deodutta Roy

Environmental Health Sciences

Malignant brain tumors rank second in both incidence and mortality by cancer in children, and they are the leading cause of cancer death in children. Relatively little is known about the etiology of childhood brain tumor (CBT). While there are several studies which link pesticide exposure to increased risk of CBT, findings have been inconsistent. We performed a meta-analysis on 15 published epidemiological studies to test that in utero exposure to pesticides may be involved in the development of brain cancer in children. Meta-analysis was performed using the general variance-based method and homogeneity was tested by means of the Q …

Novel Method For The High-Throughput Processing Of Slides For The Comet Assay, Mahsa Karbaschi, Marcus Cooke

Open Access Publishing Fund

Single cell gel electrophoresis (the comet assay), continues to gain popularity as a means of assessing DNA damage. However, the assay’s low sample throughput and laborious sample workup procedure are limiting factors to its application. “Scoring”, or individually determining DNA damage levels in 50 cells per treatment, is time-consuming, but with the advent of high-throughput scoring, the limitation is now the ability to process significant numbers of comet slides. We have developed a novel method by which multiple slides may be manipulated, and undergo electrophoresis, in batches of 25 rather than individually and, importantly, retains the use of standard microscope …

Lifestyle Behaviors And Self-Rated Health: The Living For Health Program, Gustavo G. Zarini, Joan A. Vaccaro, Maria A. Canossa Terris, Joel C. Exebio, Laura Tokayer, Janet Antwi, Sahar Ajabshirt, Amanpreet Cheema, Fatma G. Huffman

Department of Dietetics and Nutrition

Background. Lack of adherence to dietary and physical activity guidelines has been linked to an increase in chronic diseases in the United States (US). The aim of this study was to assess the association of lifestyle behaviors with self-rated health (SRH). Methods. This cross-sectional study used self-reported data from Living for Health Program ( 1,701) which was conducted from 2008 to 2012 in 190 health fair events in South Florida, US. Results. Significantly higher percent of females as compared to males were classified as obese (35.4% versus 27.0%), reported poor/fair SRH (23.4% versus 15.0%), and were less physically active (33.9% …

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-Γ Coactivator 1-Α (Ppargc1a) Genetic Associations With Type 2 Diabetes In Three Ethnicities, Amanpreet K. Cheema

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Genetic heterogeneity, lifestyle factors, gene-gene or gene-environment interactions are the determinants of T2D which puts Hispanics and populations with African ancestry at higher risk of developing T2D. In this dissertation, the genetic associations of PPARGC1A polymorphisms with T2D and its related phenotypes (metabolic markers) in Haitian Americans (cases=110, controls=116), African Americans (cases=120, controls=124) and Cuban Americans (cases=160, controls=181) of South Florida were explored. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms of gene PPARGC1A were evaluated in each ethnicity for their disease association. In Haitian Americans, rs7656250 (OR= 0.22, pp=0.03) had significant protective association with T2D but had risk association in African Americans …

Jaw Dysfunction Is Associated With Neck Disability And Muscle Tenderness In Subjects With And Without Chronic Temporomandibular Disorders, A. Silveira, Inae Caroline Gadotti, S. Armijo-Olivo, D. A. Biasotto-Gonzalez, D. Magee

Department of Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Purpose. Tender points in the neck are common in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). However, the correlation among neck disability, jaw dysfunction, and muscle tenderness in subjects with TMD still needs further investigation. This study investigated the correlation among neck disability, jaw dysfunction, and muscle tenderness in subjects with and without chronic TMD. Participants. Forty females between 19 and 49 years old were included in this study.There were 20 healthy controls and 20 subjects who had chronic TMD and neck disability. Methods. Subjects completed the neck disability index and the limitations of daily functions in TMD questionnaires. Tenderness of the …

Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor Level Is An Independent Predictor Of The Presence And Severity Of Coronary Artery Disease And Of Future Adverse Events, Danny J. Eapen, Pankaj Manocha, Nima Ghasemzadeh, Riyaz S. Patel, Hatem Al Kassem, Muhammad Hammadah, Emir Veledar, Ngoc-Anh Le, Tomasz Pielak, Christian W. Thorball, Aristea Velegraki, Dimitrios T. Kremastinos, Stamatios Lerakis, Laurence Sperling, Arshed A. Quyyumi

Department of Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Introduction Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is an emerging inflammatory and immune biomarker. Whether suPAR level predicts the presence and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), and of incident death and myocardial infarction (MI) in subjects with suspected CAD, is unknown.

Methods and Results We measured plasma suPAR levels in 3367 subjects (67% with CAD) recruited in the Emory Cardiovascular Biobank and followed them for adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes of death and MI over a mean 2.1±1.1 years. Presence of angiographic CAD (≥50% stenosis in ≥1 coronary artery) and its severity were quantitated using the Gensini score. Cox's …

Redox Signalling To Nuclear Regulatory Proteins By Reactive Oxygen Species Contributes To Oestrogen-Induced Growth Of Breast Cancer Cells, Victor Okoh, N. A. Garba, Jayanta K. Das, Alok Deoraj, K. P. Singh, S. Sarkar, Quentin Felty, Changwon Yoo, R. M. Jackson, Deodutta Roy

Environmental Health Sciences

Background:

17β-Oestradiol (E2)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in regulating the growth of breast cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanism of this is not clear. Here we show how ROS through a novel redox signalling pathway involving nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) and p27 contribute to E2-induced growth of MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Methods:

Chromatin immunoprecipitation, qPCR, mass spectrometry, redox western blot, colony formation, cell proliferation, ROS assay, and immunofluorescence microscopy were used to study the role of NRF-1.

Results:

The major novel finding of this study is the demonstration of oxidative modification of phosphatases PTEN and …

The Elusive Role Of The Left Temporal Pole (Ba38) In Language: A Preliminary Meta-Analytic Connectivity Study, Alfredo Ardilla, Byron Bernal, Monica Rosselli

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences

It has been suggested that the left temporal pole (Brodmann area 38 (BA38)) participates in diverse language functions, including semantic processing, speech comprehension, and naming. Utilizing the activation likelihood estimation (ALE), a meta-analytic connectivity study was conducted to further our understanding on the role of BA38 in language. Departing from the BrainMap functional database, 11 papers corresponding to 12 paradigms including 201 participants were selected. Initially, � < 0.01 was employed as the significance level, resulting in the presence of four different activation clusters.However,when the significance level was lowered to � < 0.05, sixteen activation clusters appeared, including classical language areas such as Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas. It was concluded that (1) this meta-analytic connectivity study suggests the presence of two major connection circuits involving BA38; one is related to language,while the othermay be involved in visuospatial and integrative audiovisual functions. Furthermore, (2) BA38 also contributes to various brain networks supporting linguistic processes related not only to language comprehension but also to language production.