Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Studies On The Purification And Role Of Igfbp-5 Protease In Bone, H. Garrett Rush Thompson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone density and deterioration of mineralized bone leading to enhanced susceptibility to fracture. Several growth factors have been implicated in the coupling of formation to resorption during the bone remodeling process. The net bone forming activity of many growth factors has prompted numerous studies focused on the regulation of osteoblast cell proliferation, differentiation and activity. The current study focuses on the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system, an important growth factor system involved in the regulation of bone formation and bone resorption.

IGF binding protein -5 (IGFBP-5), the most abundant IGF binding protein in …

Hybridization Of Dna By Sequential Immobilization Of Oligonucleotides At The Air-Water Interface, Murali Sastry, Vidya Ramakrishnan, Mrunalini Pattarkine, Anand Gole, K. N. Ganesh

Faculty Works

The hybridization of DNA by sequential electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding immobilization of single-stranded complementary oligonucleotides at the air-water interface with cationic Langmuir monolayers is demonstrated. The complexation of the single-stranded DNA molecules with octadecylamine (ODA) Langmuir monolayers was followed in time by monitoring the pressure-area isotherms. A large (and slow) expansion of the ODA monolayer was observed during each stage of complexation in the following sequence: primary single-stranded DNA followed by complementary single-stranded DNA followed by the intercalator, ethidium bromide. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of the ODA-DNA complex were formed on different substrates and characterized using quartz-crystal microgravimetry (QCM), Fourier transform infrared …

Cytoplasmic Filament-Deficient Mutant Of Treponema Denticola Has Pleiotropic Defects, Jacques Izard, William A. Samsonoff, Ronald J. Limberger

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

In Treponema denticola, a ribbon-like structure of cytoplasmic filaments spans the cytoplasm at all stages of the cell division process. Insertional inactivation was used as a first step to determine the function of the cytoplasmic filaments. A suicide plasmid was constructed that contained part of cfpA and a nonpolar erythromycin resistance cassette (ermF and ermAM) inserted near the beginning of the gene. The plasmid was electroporated into T. denticola, and double-crossover recombinants which had the chromosomal copy of cfpA insertionally inactivated were selected. Immunoblotting and electron microscopy confirmed the lack of cytoplasmic filaments. The mutant was further …

Amino Acid Osmolytes In Regulatory Volume Decrease And Isovolumetric Regulation In Brain Cells: Contribution And Mechanisms, Herminia Pasantes-Morales, Rodrigo Franco, M. Eugenia Torres-Marquez, Karla Hernandez-Fonseca, Arturo Ortega

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Brain adaptation to hyposmolarity is accomplished by loss of both electrolytes and organic osmolytes, including amino acids, polyalcohols and methylamines. In brain in vivo, the organic osmolytes account for about 35% of the total solute loss. This review focus on the role of amino acids in cell volume regulation, in conditions of sudden hyposmosis, when cells respond by active regulatory volume decrease (RVD) or after gradual exposure to hyposmotic solutions, a condition where cell volume remains unchanged, named isovolumetric regulation (IVR). The amino acid efflux pathway during RVD is passive and is similar in many respects to the volume-activated anion …

Method And Apparatus For Adaptive Filtering By Counting Acoustic Sample Zeroes In Ultrasound Imaging, Gregory R. Bashford, Edward D. Nonnweiler, David D. Becker, David John Muzilla

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

An ultrasound imaging system having an adaptive spatial filter the filter coefficients of which, for particular image parameter sample, are determined by counting the number of neighboring image parameter samples having zero or near-zero values. If the number of zero or near-zero values in a data window is greater than a predetermined threshold, the data in the window is passed, not filtered. This filter has two advantages over other spatial filters. First, image parameter data samples having only zero or near-zero neighboring values (i.e., isolated "point noise") are not smeared. Second, boundaries such as the edge of color in a …

Accessory Cell Defect In Unresponsiveness Of Neonates And Aged To Polysaccharide Vaccines., Subbarao Bondada, H Wu, D A Robertson, R L Chelvarajan

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

T independent antigens elicit antibody responses in the absence of carrier specific T helper cells but require signals from accessory cells (macrophages and dendritic cells) or specific cytokines. They are further subdivided into TI-1 and TI-2 categories based on the ability of TI-1 but not TI-2 antigens to elicit immune responses from neonates. Most bacterial polysaccharides including the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines belong to the TI-2 class. It is hypothesized that defects in accessory cell function play a critical role in the failure of neonates to respond to such TI-2 antigens. Immune responses to these TI-2 stimuli are also reduced in …

Dealing With A Dry Season, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

Farmers' approaches to adverse seasonal conditions whether they be frost, flood or low rainfall should be to acquire as much information as possible on the immediate agronomic and financial situations and make a judgement on the longer term implications for the following seasons. Once the information has been acquired, in consultation with advisers, it is necessary to construct and implement agronomic and business strategies to deal with individual situations.

The agronomic and stocking options for the dry season supplied in this booklet deal with questions and issues arising from the Year 2000 season, which has been characterised by a mid …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 42 Number 2, Fall 2000, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

10 - I WANT MY IPO! By Susan Vogel. With so much venture capital available out there, why do women have to sprint to catch up with men in the race for funding?

14 - ON THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW ERA By George F. Giacomini, Jr. A long-time SCU professor offers his opinion of the most pivotal moments in the University's 150-year history, from wars to the admission of women.

18 - OF HEADHUNTERS AND SOLDIERS By Renato Rosaldo. Living with a headhunting Filipino tribe taught this author to be open to the possibility that other cultures have valid, …

The Toxicology Of Aluminum In The Brain: A Review, Robert A. Yokel

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Aluminum is environmentally ubiquitous, providing human exposure. Usual human exposure is primarily dietary. The potential for significant Al absorption from the nasal cavity and direct distribution into the brain should be further investigated. Decreased renal function increases human risk of Al-induced accumulation and toxicity. Brain Al entry from blood may involve transferrin-receptor mediated endocytosis and a more rapid process transporting small molecular weight Al species. There appears to be Al efflux from the brain, probably as Al citrate. There is prolonged retention of a fraction of Al that enters the brain, suggesting the potential for accumulation with repeated exposure. Al …

Effects Of Calcium Β-Hmb Supplementation During Training On Markers Of Catabolism, Body Composition, Strength And Sprint Performance, Richard B. Kreider, Maria Pontes Ferreira, Michael Greenwood, M. Wilson, Pamela Grindstaff, Steven Plisk, Jeff Reinardy, Edward Cantler, Anthony L. Amalda

Nutrition and Food Science Faculty Research Publications

Calcium β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation has been reported to reduce catabolism and promote gains in strength and fat free mass in untrained individuals initiating training. However, the effects of HMB supplementation on strength and body composition alterations during training in athletes is less clear. This study examined the effects of 28-d of calcium HMB supplementation during intense training on markers of catabolism, body composition, strength, and sprint performance. In a double-blind and randomized manner, 28 NCAA division I-A football players were matched-paired and assigned to supplement their diet for 28-d during winter resistance/agility training (~8 hr/wk) with a carbohydrate placebo …

Induction Of Apoptosis In Human Prostate Cancer Cells By Resveratrol, Gary Zulfikar Morris

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Recently attention has been brought to trans-resveratrol's {TR) anticancer activity, as determined through a number of cultured cancer cell models. This activity was attributed to TR behaving as an estrogen, and the orientation of TR' s hydroxyl groups. Based on this work it was of interest to determine whether TR would also be toxic in prostate cancer cells; if toxic, did TR induce necrosis or apoptosis in the cells; was it toxic through hormone mediated pathways; and were TR's hydroxyl groups responsible for its biological activity. To this end, cellular viability was assessed in two different prostate cancer cell …

Food Safety In The United States And The European Union: Sequel To A Case Study, Bryan Harris

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The author reports on recent regulatory and legislative developments in the United States and European Union relating to toys imbedded in candy.

Identification And Characterization Of The Cis-Acting Elements Around The Murine Cd4 Cnhancer, Xin Dong

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The cluster determinant 4 (CD4) molecule is a transmembrane glycoprotein. CD4 is essential for normal T helper cell function and plays an important role in T cell development and activation. CD4 is encoded by a single gene located on chromosome 6 in the mouse and chromosome 12 in the human. Both human and murine CD4 genes are divided into ten exons spanning more than 25 kb and have a large non-coding region in the first and third intron. CD4 gene expression is controlled primarily at the transcriptional level during T cell development and activation.

An enhancer has been identified approximately …

Connexin-32 Contributes To Radiation Resistance In Thyroid Follicles, Da-Thao Dinh Tran

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The objective of this study was to examine the role of gap junctions in the radiation resistance of thyroid follicles. The question of whether gap junctional intercellular communication plays an important role in the “contact effect”, wherein cells in direct apposition are more resistant to the damaging effects of radiation, has been debated for years. We used the Fischer rat thyroid cell line (FRTL-5) to carry out our experiments. This thesis is divided into two parts: 1) characterization of gap junctional properties in FRTL-5 cells and, 2) exposure of these cells to radiation.

We found that, unlike primary thyroid cells, …

Interactions Of Igf-Ii And Cathepsin D In Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cells, Jesika S. Faridi

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A primary role of the IGF-II/M6P receptor is to target lysosomal enzymes from the golgi to the lysosomes. This receptor has distinct binding sites for IGF-II and M6P, however, reciprocal interactions between these ligands have been observed (Kiess et al. 1989, 1990). Since IGF-II modulates the routing of cathepsin D in MCF-7 cells by blocking the intracellular binding of cathepsin D to the IGF-II/M6P receptor (De León et al. 1996), we hypothesized that expressing a mutant form of IGF-II that does not bind the IGF-II/M6P receptor will not interfere with lysosomal enzyme trafficking.

In our present study, we report the …

Bulletin 4435 - Exotic Diseases - Pigs, Agriculture Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

An exotic disease is a disease that is not present in Australia.

If an exotic disease did occur in Australia it would cause production losses, stock deaths and stop exports of primary production. When export markets are lost they can only be re-established once it is proven the disease is eradicated

Genetic Diversity Of Beta-Thalassemia Mutations In Pakistani Population, B Khateeb, T Moatter, A M. Shaghil, S Haroon, G N. Kakepoto

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background:
beta-thalassemia is one of the most common inherited single gene disorder in Pakistan. It is characterized by reduced or absent beta-globin gene expression resulting in abnormal maturation and survival of red blood cells. Due to high prevalence of this disease in the local population, it has become important for the health care providers to encourage people to utilize laboratory facilities for carrier and prenatal genetic testing.
Objective:
To study the frequency of beta-thalassemia mutations in Pakistani population.
Setting:
A tertiary care teaching hospital.
Methods:
Blood samples of 72 couples and chorionic villus (CV) biopsy specimen collected at the Aga …

Prolonged Cyclooxygenase-2 Induction In Neurons And Glia Following Traumatic Brain Injury In The Rat, Kenneth I. Strauss, Mary F. Barbe, Renee Marshall Demarest, Ramesh Raghupathi, Samir Mehta, Raj K. Narayan

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) is a primary inflammatory mediator that converts arachidonic acid into precursors of vasoactive prostaglandins, producing reactive oxygen species in the process. Under normal conditions COX2 is not detectable, except at low abundance in the brain. This study demonstrates a distinctive pattern of COX2 increases in the brain over time following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Quantitative lysate ribonuclease protection assays indicate acute and sustained increases in COX2 mRNA in two rat models of TBI. In the lateral fluid percussion model, COX2 mRNA is significantly elevated (>twofold, p < 0.05, Dunnett) at 1 day postinjury in the injured cortex and bilaterally in the hippocampus, compared to sham-injured controls. In the lateral cortical impact model (LCI), COX2 mRNA peaks around 6 h postinjury in the ipsilateral cerebral cortex (fivefold induction, p < 0.05, Dunnett) and in the ipsilateral and contralateral hippocampus (two- and six-fold induction, respectively, p < 0.05, Dunnett). Increases are sustained out to 3 days postinjury in the injured cortex in both models. Further analyses use the LCI model to evaluate COX2 induction. Immunoblot analyses confirm increased levels of COX2 protein in the cortex and hippocampus. Profound increases in COX2 protein are observed in the cortex at 1-3 days, that return to sham levels by 7 days postinjury (p < 0.05, Dunnett). The cellular pattern of COX2 induction following TBI has been characterized using immunohistochemistry. COX2-immunoreactivity (-ir) rises acutely (cell numbers and intensity) and remains elevated for several days following TBI. Increases in COX2-ir colocalize with neurons (MAP2-ir) and glia (GFAP-ir). Increases in COX2-ir are observed in cerebral cortex and hippocampus, ipsilateral and contralateral to injury as early as 2 h postinjury. Neurons in the ipsilateral parietal, perirhinal and piriform cortex become intensely COX2-ir from 2 h to at least 3 days postinjury. In agreement with the mRNA and immunoblot results, COX2-ir appears greatest in the contralateral hippocampus. Hippocampal COX2-ir progresses from the pyramidal cell layer of the CA1 and CA2 region at 2 h, to the CA3 pyramidal cells and dentate polymorphic and granule cell layers by 24 h postinjury. These increases are distinct from those observed following inflammatory challenge, and correspond to brain areas previously identified with the neurological and cognitive deficits associated with TBI. While COX2 induction following TBI may result in selective beneficial responses, chronic COX2 production may contribute to free radical mediated cellular damage, vascular dysfunction, and alterations in cellular metabolism. These may cause secondary injuries to the brain that promote neuropathology and worsen behavioral outcome.

Morphological, Molecular, And Biogeographical Variation Within The Imperiled Virginia Spiraea, Constance Anders

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Spiraea virginiana Britton is a rare federally listed rhizomatous shrub endemic to the southern Blue Ridge and Appalachian Plateau physiographic provinces. Populations of S. virginiana are found restricted to scoured sections of high gradient streams within the Ohio River drainage. Present evidence indicates the species is reproducing asexually, most probably through the deposition of rhizomes from upstream populations forming new downstream ramets. Phenotypic variation was examined through a morphometric evaluation of 25 leaf measurements and analyzed using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and discriminant function analysis. Identity and structure at the molecular level as examined with Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPDs) …

Regional Variation In Recruitment Of Hemlock Seedlings And Saplings In The Upper Great Lakes, Usa, Thomas P. Rooney, Ronald J. Mccormick, Stephen L. Solheim, Donald M. Waller

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mature eastern hemlock–northern hardwood forest cover decreased drastically in the upper Midwest following European settlement and has yet to rebound substantially. Previous studies show that stands retaining substantial hemlock canopy coverage have low hemlock seedling and sapling densities. Results from various geographically restricted studies suggest several possible mechanisms that could cause low seedling or sapling density. We examined the relative importance of these proposed mechanisms in the Southern Superior Uplands Section of the Laurentian Forest Province. We surveyed 294- m2 plots in 100 hemlock stands in northern Wisconsin and western upper Michigan to assess how these proposed mechanisms affect the …

Vibrio Cholerae H-Ns Silences Virulence Gene Expression At Multiple Steps In The Toxr Regulatory Cascade, Melinda B. Nye, James D. Pfau, Karen Skorupski, Ronald K. Taylor

Dartmouth Scholarship

H-NS is an abundant nucleoid-associated protein involved in the maintenance of chromosomal architecture in bacteria. H-NS also has a role in silencing the expression of a variety of environmentally regulated genes during growth under nonpermissive conditions. In this study we demonstrate a role for H-NS in the negative modulation of expression of several genes within the ToxR virulence regulon ofVibrio cholerae. Deletion of hns resulted in high, nearly constitutive levels of expression of the genes encoding cholera toxin, toxin-coregulated pilus, and the ToxT virulence gene regulatory protein. For the cholera toxin- and ToxT-encoding genes, elevated expression in an …

La Notion De Danger, Jean M. Kanellopoulos, David M. Ojcius

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Pendant de nombreuses années, les recherches en immunologie ont été centrées sur la réponse immunitaire adaptative, et la plupart des immunologistes considéraient que sa fonction principale était de faire la distinction entre soi et non soi. Plus récemment, plusieurs équipes ont proposé que la fonction principale du système immunitaire est en réalité d’éliminer les agents pathogènes. Or, c’est le système immunitaire inné, longtemps négligé, qui joue un rôle essentiel dans l’induction d’une réponse contre les microorganismes. Ce système réagit précocement aux infections, voire instantanément, puis il induit et oriente la réponse du système adaptatif. Plusieursthéories ont été élaborées pour expliquer …

Characterization Of 50s Ribosomal Subunit Assembly Inhibition In Erythromycin Treated Escherichia Coli Cells., Jerry Edward Usary

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Erythromycin has long been recognized for its ability to inhibit protein synthesis by interfering with mRNA translation on the bacterial ribosome. We have recently shown that erythromycin also inhibits the assembly of the 50S ribosomal subunit in growing bacterial cells. The nature of this assembly inhibition has been investigated using ³H-uridine pulse-chase labeling of control and erythromycin treated E. coli cells.

Subunit assembly was examined by sucrose gradient centrifugation of labeled cell lysates. Normal assembly kinetics of subunit assembly were observed in control cells at 37°C. Formation of the 30S subunit was completed by 7.5 minutes and assembly of …

Primate Numerical Competence: Contributions Toward Understanding Nonhuman Cognition, Sarah T. Boysen, Karen I. Hallberg

Sentience Collection

Nonhuman primates represent the most significant extant species for comparative studies of cognition, including such complex phenomena as numerical competence, among others. Studies of numerical skills in monkeys and apes have a long, though somewhat sparse history, although questions for current empirical studies remain of great interest to several fields, including comparative, developmental, and cognitive psychology; anthropology; ethology; and philosophy, to name a few. In addition to demonstrated similarities in complex information processing, empirical studies of a variety of potential cognitive limitations or constraints have provided insights into similarities and differences across the primate order, and continue to offer theoretical …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 42 Number 1, Summer 2000, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

8 - ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES? By Miriam Schulman. Beyond the hype of the headlines, there are no simple answers to the ethical questions raised by genetically modified food.

14 - BRAVE NEW WORLD By Tamara Straus. Now the lawyers want inside your head as they struggle to answer, "Who owns an idea?" Just the mere question is changing the face of legal education.

18 - THE GREAT GRADE GIVEAWAY By Jeff Zorn. Today's grades don't mean jack. So says one Santa Clara professor in this memoir and commentary on the evils of modern day grade inflation.

22 - …

Role Of Lipolysis And Lipogenesis In The Development Of Diet-Induced Obesity, Michael John Davies

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Obesity is an increasingly common public health problem with approximately one-half of the American adult population overweight and one-quarter considered obese. This alarming trend has led researchers to determine potential causative factors of excess weight gain in humans. However, it is difficult to discern whether perturbations that result in obesity are the cause or simply the result of the obese state. Diet-induced obesity is one of the animal models that allow researchers to address temporal issues. Our laboratory utilizes a diet-induced obesity model in which Sprague-Dawley rats are placed on a purified moderately high fat diet and ultimately diverge into …

An Ultrastructural Survey Of The Nuchal Glands Of Rhabdophis Tigrinus (Serpentes: Colubridae), Kathleen A. Roberts

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Rhabdophis tigrinus, an Asian natricine snake, possesses a series of integumentary glands located in the nuchal skin. Previous studies indicated that the nuchal glands are of mesodermal origin, contain cardiac steroids analogous to bufotoxins found in the parotoid glands of toads, which are included in the snake's diet. The nuchal glands are defensive in function. Preliminary histological studies revealed differences in quality of the gland tissue compared to previous studies, and difference in fixation techniques were suspected. Seven specimens of R. tigrinus were fixed by perfusion using a conservative fixation process standard for electron microscopy. The nuchal gland series …

Validation Of Passive Air Sampling Monitors Onboard United States Navy Submarines, Larry A. Mcfarland

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

An operating submarine creates a unique air quality mixture of compounds that result from a combination of human metabolism, construction materials, materials brought onboard and compounds created through the interaction of ship systems. A comprehensive study of submarine atmospheres is ongoing during deployments of U.S. Navy nuclear submarines. As part of the overall effort, a paired air sampling comparison field validation was conducted to compare the air sampling effectiveness of passive diffusive monitors compared to more traditional active air sampling methods when sampling for acrolein, formaldehyde and ozone in the enclosed submarine atmosphere. Acrolein monitors containing 2-hydroxymethylpiperidine (HMP) impregnated glass …

Increased Levels Of Multiple Forms Of Dihydrofolate Reductase In Peripheral Blood Leucocytes Of Cancer Patients Receiving Haematopoietic Colony-Stimulating Factors: Interim Analysis, M P. Iqbal, I A. Burney, F Sultana, N Mehboobali, T Siddiqui

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

The precise mechanism whereby granulocytes proliferate when haematopoietic colony stimulating factors (CSFs) are used in neutropenic cancer patients is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether these cytokines bring about leucocyte proliferation by increasing the levels of multiple forms of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Blood samples were collected from 36 cancer patients (25 males and 11 females) with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. One sample of blood from each patient was obtained before therapy either with CSF, such as granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or with placebo, and another one at the time of …

Method And Apparatus For Controlling Acoustic Signal Bandwidth In An Ultrasonic Diagnostic Imaging System, Jeffrey R. Resnick, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

An ultrasonic imaging system includes a receive beamformer that generates analog receive signals and a scan converter. A receive signal processing path interconnects the receive beamformer and the scan converter, and this processing path included both an A/D converter characterized by a selectable sampling rate and at least one filter characterized by at least one filter parameter. The filter parameter is selected as a function of the sampling rate to provide enhanced image quality.