Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Selective Suppression Of The Α Isoform Of P38 Mapk Rescues Late-Stage Tau Pathology, Nicole Maphis, Shanya Jiang, Guixiang Xu, Olga N. Kokiko-Cochran, Saktimayee M. Roy, Linda J. Van Eldik, D. Martin Watterson, Bruce T. Lamb, Kiran Bhaskar

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Background: Hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of tau protein are the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease and related tauopathies. We previously demonstrated that the microglial activation induces tau hyperphosphorylation and cognitive impairment via activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) in the hTau mouse model of tauopathy that was deficient for microglial fractalkine receptor CX3CR1.

Method: We report an isoform-selective, brain-permeable, and orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of p38α MAPK (MW181) and its effects on tau phosphorylation in vitro and in hTau mice.

Results: First, pretreatment of mouse primary cortical neurons with MW181 completely blocked inflammation-induced p38α MAPK activation and AT8 …

Caloric Restriction Preserves Memory And Reduces Anxiety Of Aging Mice With Early Enhancement Of Neurovascular Functions, Ishita Parikh, Janet Guo, Kai-Hsiang Chuang, Yu Zhong, Ralf G. Rempe, Jared D. Hoffman, Rachel Armstrong, Björn Bauer, Anika M. S. Hartz, Ai-Ling Lin

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Neurovascular integrity plays an important role in protecting cognitive and mental health in aging. Lifestyle interventions that sustain neurovascular integrity may thus be critical on preserving brain functions in aging and reducing the risk for age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Here we show that caloric restriction (CR) had an early effect on neurovascular enhancements, and played a critical role in preserving vascular, cognitive and mental health in aging. In particular, we found that CR significantly enhanced cerebral blood flow (CBF) and blood-brain barrier function in young mice at 5-6 months of age. The neurovascular enhancements were associated with reduced mammalian target of …

Breast Is Best: Determinants Of Breastfeeding In Bali, Leah Hardenbergh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Breastfeeding greatly benefits the health of newborns, providing them with needed antibodies and protection from numerous diseases, including some of the leading causes of infant mortality. This paper explores breastfeeding practices in Bali, and the wide array of factors that have led to these practices. After discussing how breastfeeding fits into the larger context of maternal and newborn health, I explain factors in Bali that affect a woman’s decision to breastfeed and experience while breastfeeding. Determinants include those related to health, financial position, and social status. I explore the history of formula companies and formula as an alternative to breastmilk, …

Consecuencias De La Dictadura: La Salud Mental Transgeneracional En Hijos De Detenidos Desaparecidos / Consequences Of The Dictatorship: Transgenerational Mental Health In Children Of Disappeared Detainees, Catherine Sillari

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: What are the trends seen in the mental health of the children of the people who were “disappeared” by the Pinochet dictatorship?

Objectives: The general objective of this study is to look for trends in the mental health of children of disappeared people. The specific objectives are to understand the particular stresses that come with disappearances versus other types of deaths, to gage the general opinion of the government’s system of reparation, and to identify common coping methods.

Background: Between the years of 1973-1990, Chile was under the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. During this time, major …

The Importance Of Nature: An Investigation On How Geography Influences Well-Being, Christina Cobb

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The objective of this community service project (CSP) was to study how a community’s location, specifically within nature, influences their well-being. I hoped to see how the community’s location, within Chapada Diamantina national park, influences the many ways health is promoted, and how these ways are affected by their location within nature. This project was built upon a review of the literature, which found that there is a theoretical basis for the notion that contact with nature is beneficial, a term deemed Biophilia. There is a robust body of academic research that highlights the health benefits deriving from contact …

“Always A Double-Edged Sword”: How Women And Health Care Providers Navigate Issues Of Contraception In Differing Senegalese Communities, Angelina Strohbach

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines how women and health care providers in two distinct Senegalese settings—Dakar and Mouit, a village located within the Gandiol region-- navigate contraception as both a social and medical good. Contraception is an invaluable tool in terms of advancing women’s right to reproductive health, but major discrepancies in its usage exist across a variety of social lines in Senegal, including level of education, marital status, occupation, age, and living in a rural versus urban setting. What socially constructed thought processes and lived experiences contribute to these discrepancies? In a cultural context heavily based upon tradition and Islamic faith, …

Sugar And Spice, Not Everything's Nice: Changing Dietary Habits In Bali, Harry Teplow

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this paper, I will explore the ways in which locals interact with new food options on the island of Bali. Specifically, I will explore dietary behaviors surrounding pre-­‐ packaged snacks and ‘fast-­‐food’ chains and determine whether the presence of these food options is affecting the Balinese’s relationship with more traditional cuisine. I will use everyday observations and conversations with locals to analyze dietary habits and the various food items that are being consumed while examining the potential dietary differentiation between two age groups. I will also consider health outcomes in Bali and discuss how changing dietary habits may be …

Pathways To Positive Change: A People's Perspective Of Healthcare In Humla, Wensday Meyers Berman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The villagers of Humla have suffered from unreliable health services and unjust indifference from the Nepali government for too long. Many global health initiatives and international NGOs have tried and failed to step in and make an improvement of health within these villages, because they are lacking an understanding of how these villages are run, what villagers prioritize, and how to continue providing reliable, supervised support. Because of the remoteness of the Humla area, it is difficult for allopathic medicine to be sufficiently provided here, and access to emergency medical resources are limited. Global health organizations such as WHO and …

Immunomodulators As Therapeutic Agents In Mitigating The Progression Of Parkinson's Disease, Bethany Grimmig, Josh Morganti, Kevin Nash, Paula C. Bickford

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that primarily afflicts the elderly. It is characterized by motor dysfunction due to extensive neuron loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta. There are multiple biological processes that are negatively impacted during the pathogenesis of PD, and are implicated in the cell death in this region. Neuroinflammation is evidently involved in PD pathology and mitigating the inflammatory cascade has been a therapeutic strategy. Age is the number one risk factor for PD and thus needs to be considered in the context of disease pathology. Here, we discuss the role of neuroinflammation within …

Extracellular Vesicle-Associated Aβ Mediates Trans-Neuronal Bioenergetic And Ca2+-Handling Deficits In Alzheimer's Disease Models, Erez Eitan, Emmette R. Hutchison, Krisztina Marosi, James Comotto, Maja Mustapic, Saket M. Nigam, Caitlin Suire, Chinmoyee Maharana, Gregory A. Jicha, Dong Liu, Vasiliki Machairaki, Kenneth W. Witwer, Dimitrios Kapogiannis, Mark P. Mattson

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder in which aggregation-prone neurotoxic amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) accumulates in the brain. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, are small 50–150 nm membrane vesicles that have recently been implicated in the prion-like spread of self-aggregating proteins. Here we report that EVs isolated from AD patient cerebrospinal fluid and plasma, from the plasma of two AD mouse models, and from the medium of neural cells expressing familial AD presenilin 1 mutations, destabilize neuronal Ca²⁺ homeostasis, impair mitochondrial function, and sensitize neurons to excitotoxicity. EVs contain a relatively low amount of Aβ but have an …

Reduced Efficacy Of Anti-AΒ Immunotherapy In A Mouse Model Of Amyloid Deposition And Vascular Cognitive Impairment Comorbidity, Erica M. Weekman, Tiffany L. Sudduth, Carly N. Caverly, Timothy J. Kopper, Oliver W. Phillips, David K. Powell, Donna M. Wilcock

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) is the second most common form of dementia behind Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is estimated that 40% of AD patients also have some form of VCID. One promising therapeutic for AD is anti-Aβ immunotherapy, which uses antibodies against Aβ to clear it from the brain. While successful in clearing Aβ and improving cognition in mice, anti-Aβ immunotherapy failed to reach primary cognitive outcomes in several different clinical trials. We hypothesized that one potential reason the anti-Aβ immunotherapy clinical trials were unsuccessful was due to this high percentage of VCID …

Young People’S Perceptions Of Advice About Sexual Risk Taking, Christopher Donoghue, Consuelo Bonillas, Jennifer Moreno, Melissa Cheung

Department of Sociology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Sexual and reproductive health indicators for young people in the USA have improved in recent decades, but teenage pregnancies remain high, and large differences between Whites and non-Whites persist in teenage births, abortions, and the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections. Prior research shows that young people are receptive to communication about sex from parents and friends, but peers have been found to be more influential on sexual risk taking. In this study of 617 young people aged 13–20 years in high-risk neighbourhoods for teenage pregnancy in New Jersey, we asked whether sexually inexperienced young people differed from sexually experienced young …

Opportunities And Challenges In Incorporating Ancillary Studies Into A Cancer Prevention Randomized Clinical Trial, Phyllis J. Goodman, Catherine M. Tangen, Amy K. Darke, Kathryn B. Arnold, Joann Hartline, Monica Yee, Karen Anderson, Allison Caban-Holt, William G. Christen, Patricia A Cassano, Peter Lance, Eric A. Klein, John J. Crowley, Lori M. Minasian, Frank L. Meyskens

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Background: The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, prostate cancer prevention study funded by the National Cancer Institute and conducted by SWOG (Southwest Oncology Group). A total of 35,533 men were assigned randomly to one of four treatment groups (vitamin E + placebo, selenium + placebo, vitamin E + selenium, placebo + placebo). At the time of the trial’s development, NIH had invested substantial resources in evaluating the potential benefits of these antioxidants. To capitalize on the knowledge gained from following a large cohort of healthy, aging males on the effects of selenium …

“It’S Not Important For You To Speak:” The Perception Of Purity And Its Power Over Women’S Reproductive And Sexual Health, Margot Radding

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

There is a general silence in both society and academia surrounding women’s health and the social conception of purity. Purity myths and misconceptions have created stigmas that women of all backgrounds must navigate to manage and care for their reproductive and sexual health. This study investigates the importance of purity and how it is used to define, measure, and categorize women’s bodies and behaviors. Women’s perception of purity, specifically in regards to menstruation and pre-marital sex, were investigated using semi-structured interviews in Dehradun, Uttarkhand. This study analyzes how stigmatized conceptions of impurities manifest as silence in society. Data collected from …

“Great Job Cleaning Your Plate Today!” Determinants Of Child-Care Providers’ Use Of Controlling Feeding Practices: An Exploratory Examination, Dipti A. Dev, Brent A. Mcbride, Katherine E. Speirs, Kimberly A. Blitch, Natalie A. Williams

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Background National early childhood obesity prevention policies recommend that child-care providers avoid controlling feeding practices (CFP) (e.g., pressure-to-eat, food as reward, and praising children for cleaning their plates) with children to prevent unhealthy child eating behaviors and childhood obesity. However, evidence suggests that providers frequently use CFP during mealtimes.

Objective Using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2011) benchmarks for nutrition in child care as a framework, researchers assessed child-care providers’ perspectives regarding their use of mealtime CFP with young children (aged 2 to 5 years).

Design Using a qualitative design, individual, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with providers until …

Mtor: Alzheimer's Disease Prevention For Apoe4 Carriers, Ai-Ling Lin, D. Allan Butterfield, Arlan Richardson

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

1H-Mrs Metabolites In Adults With Down Syndrome: Effects Of Dementia, Ai-Ling Lin, David Powell, Allison Caban-Holt, Gregory A. Jicha, William C. Robertson, Brian T. Gold, Roberta Davis, Erin L. Abner, Donna M. Wilcock, Frederick A. Schmitt, Elizabeth Head

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

To determine if proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) detect differences in dementia status in adults with Down syndrome (DS), we used ¹H-MRS to measure neuronal and glial metabolites in the posterior cingulate cortex in 22 adults with DS and in 15 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. We evaluated associations between ¹H-MRS results and cognition among DS participants. Neuronal biomarkers, including N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and glutamate-glutamine complex (Glx), were significantly lower in DS patients with Alzheimer's should probably be changed to Alzheimer (without ' or s) through ms as per the new naming standard disease (DSAD) when …

Interaction Of Tau With The Rna-Binding Protein Tia1 Regulates Tau Pathophysiology And Toxicity, Tara Vanderweyde, Daniel J. Apicco, Katherine Youmans-Kidder, Peter E. A. Ash, Casey Cook, Edroaldo Lummertz Da Rocha, Karen Jansen-West, Alissa A. Frame, Allison Citro, John D. Leszyk, Pavel Ivanov, Jose F. Abisambra, Martin Steffen, Hu Li, Leonard Petrucelli, Benjamin Wolozin

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Dendritic mislocalization of microtubule associated protein tau is a hallmark of tauopathies, but the role of dendritic tau is unknown. We now report that tau interacts with the RNA-binding protein (RBP) TIA1 in brain tissue, and we present the brain-protein interactome network for TIA1. Analysis of the TIA1 interactome in brain tissue from wild-type (WT) and tau knockout mice demonstrates that tau is required for normal interactions of TIA1 with proteins linked to RNA metabolism, including ribosomal proteins and RBPs. Expression studies show that tau regulates the distribution of TIA1, and tau accelerates stress granule (SG) formation. Conversely, TIA1 knockdown …

Plasma Neuronal Exosomal Levels Of Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers In Normal Aging, Erin L. Abner, Gregory A. Jicha, Leslie M. Shaw, John Q. Trojanowski, Edward J. Goetzl

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Plasma neuronal exosomal levels of pathogenic Alzheimer's disease (AD) proteins, cellular survival factors, and lysosomal proteins distinguish AD patients from control subjects, but changes in these exosomal proteins associated with normal aging have not been described for cognitively intact subjects. Plasma neuronal exosomal levels of P-T181-tau, P-S396-tau, Aβ_1-42, cathepsin D, repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor, and neurogranin were quantified longitudinally in cognitively intact older adults using two samples collected at 3- to 11-year intervals. Except for P-S396-tau, exosomal protein levels changed significantly with aging, but were largely outside the range observed in AD patients.

The Tnfα-Transgenic Rat: Hippocampal Synaptic Integrity, Cognition, Function, And Post-Ischemic Cell Loss, L. Creed Pettigrew, Richard J. Kryscio, Christopher M. Norris

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The cytokine, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), is a key regulator of neuroinflammation linked to numerous neurodegenerative conditions and diseases. The present study used transgenic rats that overexpress a murine TNFα gene, under the control of its own promoter, to investigate the impact of chronically elevated TNFα on hippocampal synaptic function. Neuronal viability and cognitive recovery in TNFα Tg rats were also determined following an ischemic insult arising from reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Basal CA3-CA1 synaptic strength, recorded in acute brain slices, was not significantly different between eight-week-old TNFα Tg rats and non-Tg rats. In contrast, slices from …

Policy Brief: Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act, The 2015-2016 Cohort Of New Hampshire Leadership Education In Neurodevelopmental And Related Disabilities (Nh Lend) Program Trainees.

Policy Analysis

The Lifespan Respite Care Act (PL 109-442) provides critical support for families caring for loved ones at home. Family caregivers in the United States provide an estimated $470 billion worth of uncompensated care—a figure that exceeds the total Medicaid budget for 2013 (NAC Task Force, 2016). According to the National Respite Coalition, access to respite care helps protect caregiver health, strengthens families, keeps marriages intact, and prevents the need for expensive institutional long-term care. Reauthorization of the Lifespan Respite Care Act is essential to the well-being of individuals in need of long-term care and their families affected by long-term health …

Trauma And Recovery In Post-Conflict Northern Uganda: An Analysis Of Trauma And Its Effects On The Family, Shelby Logan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Trauma in Northern Uganda stems from the atrocities that occurred during the Lord’s Resistance Army conflict. Because of this, thousands of victims were left traumatized by their experiences with disparities in aid to help them with their trauma. Utilizing the rural and urban areas in Kitgum and Gulu Municipality, this research seeks to understand how trauma presents itself in the Northern Uganda region and how it is defined by the population who treat it. This includes a list of disorders resulting from trauma and their symptoms. In addition, the efforts towards trauma healing and recovery are analyzed, including the different …

Migrant Access To Healthcare: A Study Of Undocumented Migrant Access To Sexual Healthcare & Family Planning Services In Switzerland In 2016, Emily Egbert

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Swiss healthcare system has experienced a significant influx of vulnerable migrants over the past few years. This presents a challenge to providers and policy makers to account for and provide aid to these non-­‐ Swiss citizens, such as undocumented migrants (UDM), whose status and circumstances may impede their access to healthcare. Along with this, various cultural barriers may present further challenges to access to the health system. This paper explores UDM access to health through the lens of sexual healthcare and family planning. In examining sexual health, the issues of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS, and sexual violence were …

Exploration Of The State Of Mental Healthcare Services For Youth In Nairobi, Rashiidah Richardson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is formative research concerning the state of mental health care for youth in Nairobi, Kenya. Using a mixed methods design, the objectives of this study were to identify the most prevalent mental health concerns among youth in Kenya, to explore the availability and acceptability of youth friendly mental health care services, and to explore the quality of and challenges to providing youth friendly mental health care services. Results indicate that substance abuse, conduct disorder, and family conflict may be among the most pressing mental health concerns for young people. Furthermore, while young people may be willing to seek …

Los Médicos No Creen En La Brujería: El Choque Entre La Psicologia Occidental, El Catolicismo Y Las Creencias Ancestrales En La Salud Mental Boliviana, Olivia Legan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este ensayo explora el concepto de salud mental en Bolivia y discute cómo las creencias ancestrales y el catolicismo determinan el entendimiento boliviano sobre la salud. También se toma en cuenta el rol de la salud mental en la migración interna y la tensión entre el estilo de vida rural y urbano. En base a mis experiencias en un centro de terapia alternativa y un hospital psiquiátrico católico, voy a comunicar algunas maneras en que se recibe e implementa la psicología occidental en la sociedad boliviana.

This paper explores mental health in Bolivia and discusses how both ancestral beliefs and …

Sex And Sexual Education In China: Traditional Values And Social Implications, Isabella Steinhauer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In China, the differing views of sex between younger and older generations is the clearest indicator ofthe division of modern and traditional thought in societyand their resulting repercussions. The paper examineswhat specific traditional Chinese norms and values spark many social issues in China, how those traditional values are reflected in the lack of sexual education, and then analyzes how the lack of sexual education impacts those social issues.Formal interviews were conducted in Kunming with seven college students (aged 18-23) from Yunnan Finance and Economics University and other universities, while more casual conversations were held with people of other ages in …

Healthcare Access For Syrian Refugees Lacking Legal Documentation In Jordan, Caroline Flynn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study is to analyze the access and utilization of health care services by Syrian refugees lacking documentation. This study focuses on the current procedures utilized by healthcare providers for addressing lack of legal documentation in their Syrian refugee patients, as well as broader policies and strategies for addressing the status and protection of these undocumented individuals. This study grapples with the relationship between legal documentation and access to services. The increased costs and barriers to healthcare that come with stateless and refugee status may influence health outcomes and socioeconomic opportunities that impact these individuals for the …

Obstetric Violence Within The Brazilian Healthcare System: A Critical Analysis Of The Childbirth Narratives Of Tupinambá Indigenous Women From The Olivença, Ilhéus Community, Cassandra Fareira

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The objective of this research project is to hear the personal narratives of Tupinambá Indigenous Brazilian women living in the Olivença community in Ilheus, Bahia regarding their experiences giving birth in order to discern the prevalence of various forms of obstetric violence within their experiences. In the context of this study the term "obstetric violence," derived from an extensive literature review, encompasses 1) physical abuse, 2) the unethical imposition of medical interventions, 3) the denial or lack of privacy, 4) undignified care which includes verbal abuse, 5) discrimination, 6) abandonment, neglect or the refusal to grant assistance, 7) detention in …

El Método Anticonceptivo Implante Subdérmico Para Prevenir La Repetición Del Embarazo Adolescente En La Provincia De Tucumán, Madelaine Hack

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Información Contextual: El método anticonceptivo implante subdérmico se utiliza para prevenir la repetición del embarazo adolescente entre mujeres de 14 a 24 años de edad que no tienen cobertura de salud (es decir, sin cobertura de una obra-social o pre-paga) y que han tenido un evento obstétrico (parto o aborto) en los últimos 12 meses. La prevención del segundo embarazo adolescente es una línea estratégica sumamente importante porque la tasa de embarazo adolescente ha mantenido su valor cercano al 15% por los últimos 20 años. En el caso particular de la provincia de Tucumán, está presenta un contexto interesante lo …

A Comparative Study Of Women’S Health Care: Non-Syrian Refugee Women Living In Amman And Syrian Refugee Women Living In Refugee Camps, Megan Kerstein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study is to compare access and quality of women’s health care in Amman for non-Syrian refugee women and women’s health care in Syrian refugee camps. I also sought to understand how women’s health care could be improved in both Amman and in Syrian refugee camps. I hypothesized that Syrian refugee women in camps will have less access and lower quality women’s health care since refugee camps’ funding is limited, making medical equipment and women’s health care providers short. Since women in Amman often have more stable family situations and jobs, I thought they would have more …