Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Metabolic And Inflammatory Biomarkers Are Associated With Epigenetic Aging Acceleration Estimates In The Goldn Study, Marguerite R. Irvin, Stella Aslibekyan, Anh Do, Degui Zhi, Bertha Hidalgo, Steven A. Claas, Vinodh Srinivasasainagendra, Steve Horvath, Hemant K. Tiwari, Devin M. Absher, Donna K. Arnett

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Recently, epigenetic age acceleration-or older epigenetic age in comparison to chronological age-has been robustly associated with mortality and various morbidities. However, accelerated epigenetic aging has not been widely investigated in relation to inflammatory or metabolic markers, including postprandial lipids.

Methods: We estimated measures of epigenetic age acceleration in 830 Caucasian participants from the Genetics Of Lipid Lowering Drugs and diet Network (GOLDN) considering two epigenetic age calculations based on differing sets of 5′-Cytosine-phosphate-guanine-3′ genomic site, derived from the Horvath and Hannum DNA methylation age calculators, respectively. GOLDN participants underwent a standardized high-fat meal challenge after fasting for at least …

Transmembrane Domains Of Highly Pathogenic Viral Fusion Proteins Exhibit Trimeric Association In Vitro, Stacy R. Webb, Stacy E. Smith, Michael G. Fried, Rebecca Ellis Dutch

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Enveloped viruses require viral fusion proteins to promote fusion of the viral envelope with a target cell membrane. To drive fusion, these proteins undergo large conformational changes that must occur at the right place and at the right time. Understanding the elements which control the stability of the prefusion state and the initiation of conformational changes is key to understanding the function of these important proteins. The construction of mutations in the fusion protein transmembrane domains (TMDs) or the replacement of these domains with lipid anchors has implicated the TMD in the fusion process. However, the structural and molecular details …

Renal Granulomatosis Post Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Therapy For Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer, Karen Tran-Harding, Rashmi T. Nair, Halemane S. Ganesh

Radiology Faculty Publications

Intravesical Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy is a proven, effective treatment for intermediate- and high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Minor side effects are common and expected but systemic effects can occur in < 5% of treated patients. We present a rare case of a 49-year-old male that presented with fever and chills after 3 weeks of intravesical BCG therapy post transurethral resection of bladder tumor. New renal lesions were present on contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan which was histologically proven to be necrotizing renal granulomatosis.

In Vivo Structures Of The Helicobacter Pylori Cag Type Iv Secretion System, Yi-Wei Chang, Carrie L. Shaffer, Lee A. Rettberg, Debnath Ghosal, Grant J. Jensen

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The type IV secretion system (T4SS) is a versatile nanomachine that translocates diverse effector molecules between microbes and into eukaryotic cells. Here, using electron cryotomography, we reveal the molecular architecture of the Helicobacter pylori cag T4SS. Although most components are unique to H. pylori, the cag T4SS exhibits remarkable architectural similarity to other T4SSs. Our images revealed that, when H. pylori encounters host cells, the bacterium elaborates membranous tubes perforated by lateral ports. Sub-tomogram averaging of the cag T4SS machinery revealed periplasmic densities associated with the outer membrane, a central stalk, and peripheral wing-like densities. Additionally, we resolved pilus-like …

N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide And Microsize Myocardial Infarction Risk In The Reasons For Geographic And Racial Differences In Stroke Study, Madeline R. Sterling, Raegan W. Durant, Joanna Bryan, Emily B. Levitan, Todd M. Brown, Yulia Khodneva, Stephen P. Glasser, Joshua S. Richman, George Howard, Mary Cushman, Monika M. Safford

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: N-terminal pro B-type peptide (NT-proBNP) has been associated with risk of myocardial infarction (MI), but less is known about the relationship between NT-proBNP and very small non ST-elevation MI, also known as microsize MI. These events are now routinely detectable with modern troponin assays and are emerging as a large proportion of all MI. Here, we sought to compare the association of NT-proBNP with risk of incident typical MI and microsize MI in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study.

Methods: The REGARDS Study is a national cohort of 30,239 US community-dwelling black and white …

Differential Effects Of Linkers On The Activity Of Amphiphilic Tobramycin Antifungals, Marina Y. Fosso, Sanjib K. Shrestha, Nishad Thamban Chandrika, Emily K. Dennis, Keith D. Green, Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

As the threat associated with fungal infections continues to rise and the availability of antifungal drugs remains a concern, it becomes obvious that the need to bolster the antifungal armamentarium is urgent. Building from our previous findings of tobramycin (TOB) derivatives with antifungal activity, we further investigate the effects of various linkers on the biological activity of these aminoglycosides. Herein, we analyze how thioether, sulfone, triazole, amide, and ether functionalities affect the antifungal activity of alkylated TOB derivatives against 22 Candida, Cryptococcus, and Aspergillus species. We also evaluate their impact on the hemolysis of murine erythrocytes and the …

A Model For Rigorously Applying The Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (Epis) Framework In The Design And Measurement Of A Large Scale Collaborative Multi-Site Study, Jennifer E. Becan, John P. Bartkowski, Danica K. Knight, Tisha R. A. Wiley, Ralph Diclemente, Lori Ducharme, Wayne N. Welsh, Diana Bowser, Kathryn Mccollister, Matthew Hiller, Anne C. Spaulding, Patrick M. Flynn, Andrea Swartzendruber, Megan F. Dickson, Jacqueline Horan Fisher, Gregory A. Aarons

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

Background

This paper describes the means by which a United States National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded cooperative, Juvenile Justice-Translational Research on Interventions for Adolescents in the Legal System (JJ-TRIALS), utilized an established implementation science framework in conducting a multi-site, multi-research center implementation intervention initiative. The initiative aimed to bolster the ability of juvenile justice agencies to address unmet client needs related to substance use while enhancing inter-organizational relationships between juvenile justice and local behavioral health partners.

Methods

The EPIS (Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment) framework was selected and utilized as the guiding model from inception through project completion; including the …

Bilateral Carotid Artery Stenosis Causes Unexpected Early Changes In Brain Extracellular Matrix And Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity In Mice, Jill M. Roberts, Michael E. Maniskas, Gregory J. Bix

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Bilateral carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) is one experimental model of vascular dementia thought to preferentially impact brain white matter. Indeed, few studies report hippocampal and cortical pathology prior to 30 days post-stenosis; though it is unclear whether those studies examined regions outside the white matter. Since changes in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability precede more overt brain pathology in various diseases, we hypothesized that changes within the BBB and/or BBB-associated extracellular matrix (ECM) could occur earlier after BCAS in the hippocampus, cortex and striatum and be a precursor of longer term pathology. Here, C57Bl/6 mice underwent BCAS or sham surgeries …

Rational Reasoning On Ractopamine: Kentucky Regulators Reach Appropriate Responses To Inconsequential Trace-Level Environmental Substance Identifications, Theodore F. Shults, Kimberly Brewer, Jake Machin, Eric Hamelback, Thomas Tobin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Supporting A Spectrum Of Users: Serving Individuals On The Autism Spectrum, Rachel Combs

Library Presentations

No abstract provided.

Chemohormonal Therapy In Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer: Long-Term Survival Analysis Of The Randomized Phase Iii E3805 Chaarted Trial, Christos E. Kyriakopoulos, Yu-Hui Chen, Michael A. Carducci, Glenn Liu, David F. Jarrard, Noah M. Hahn, Daniel H. Shevrin, Robert Dreicer, Maha Hussain, Mario Eisenberger, Manish Kohli, Elizabeth R. Plimack, Nicholas J. Vogelzang, Joel Picus, Matthew M. Cooney, Jorge A. Garcia, Robert S. Dipaola, Christopher J. Sweeney

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose

Docetaxel added to androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) significantly increases the longevity of some patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Herein, we present the outcomes of the CHAARTED (Chemohormonal Therapy Versus Androgen Ablation Randomized Trial for Extensive Disease in Prostate Cancer) trial with more mature follow-up and focus on tumor volume.

Patients and Methods

In this phase III study, 790 patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer were equally randomly assigned to receive either ADT in combination with docetaxel 75 mg/mm² for up to six cycles or ADT alone. The primary end point of the study was overall survival (OS). Additional …

Epigenome-Wide Association Study Of Metabolic Syndrome In African-American Adults, Tomi Akinyemiju, Anh N. Do, Amit Patki, Stella Aslibekyan, Degui Zhi, Bertha Hidalgo, Hemant K. Tiwari, Devin Absher, Xin Geng, Donna K. Arnett, Marguerite R. Irvin

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: The high prevalence of obesity among US adults has resulted in significant increases in associated metabolic disorders such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, and high blood pressure. Together, these disorders constitute metabolic syndrome, a clinically defined condition highly prevalent among African-Americans. Identifying epigenetic alterations associated with metabolic syndrome may provide additional information regarding etiology beyond current evidence from genome-wide association studies.

Methods: Data on metabolic syndrome and DNA methylation was assessed on 614 African-Americans from the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network (HyperGEN) study. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the joint harmonized criteria, and DNA methylation was assessed using the Illumina HumanMethylation450K Bead …

Quality Of Life During Treatment With Chemohormonal Therapy: Analysis Of E3805 Chemohormonal Androgen Ablation Randomized Trial In Prostate Cancer, Alicia K. Morgans, Yu-Hui Chen, Christopher J. Sweeney, David F. Jarrard, Elizabeth R. Plimack, Benjamin A. Gartrell, Michael A. Carducci, Maha Hussain, Jorge A. Garcia, David Cella, Robert S. Dipaola, Linda J. Patrick-Miller

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose

Chemohormonal therapy with docetaxel and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT+D) for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer improves overall survival as compared with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) alone. We compared the quality of life (QOL) between patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer who were treated with ADT+D and those who were treated with ADT alone.

Methods

Men were randomly assigned to ADT+ D (six cycles) or to ADT alone. QOL was assessed by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate (FACT-P), FACT-Taxane, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue, and the Brief Pain Inventory at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. The …

Global Burden Of Neuroendocrine Tumors And Changing Incidence In Kentucky, Aman Chauhan, Qian Yu, Neha Ray, Zainab Farooqui, Bin Huang, Eric B. Durbin, Thomas Tucker, B. Mark Evers, Susanne Arnold, Lowell B. Anthony

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) have a low incidence but relatively high prevalence. Over the last three decades, the incidence of NETs has risen 6-fold in the United States. We conducted an observational study to compare the incidence of NETs reported to the Kentucky Cancer Registry (KCR) versus that reported to Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER). We also provide a systematic review of the state of neuroendocrine tumors worldwide, and compare the available global and local published data.

Methods: KCR and SEER databases were queried for NET cases between 1995 and 2015. A detailed literature review of epidemiological data …

Twist Promotes Tumor Metastasis In Basal-Like Breast Cancer By Transcriptionally Upregulating Ror1, Jingying Cao, Xin Wang, Tao Dai, Yuanzhong Wu, Meifang Zhang, Renxian Cao, Ruhua Zhang, Gang Wang, Rou Jiang, Binhua P. Zhou, Jian Shi, Tiebang Kang

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Rationale: Twist is a key transcription factor for induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which promotes cell migration, invasion, and cancer metastasis, confers cancer cells with stem cell-like characteristics, and provides therapeutic resistance. However, the functional roles and targeted genes of Twist in EMT and cancer progression remain elusive.

Methods: The potential targeted genes of Twist were identified from the global transcriptomes of T47D/Twist cells by microarray analysis. EMT phenotype was detected by western blotting and immunofluorescence of marker proteins. The dual-luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were employed to observe the direct transcriptional induction of ROR1 by Twist. A lung …

Hiv Clustering In Mississippi: Spatial Epidemiological Study To Inform Implementation Science In The Deep South, Thomas J. Stopka, Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, Kendra Johnson, Philip A. Chan, Marga Hutcheson, Richard A. Crosby, Deirdre Burke, Leandro Mena, Amy Nunn

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

Background: In recent years, more than half of new HIV infections in the United States occur among African Americans in the Southeastern United States. Spatial epidemiological analyses can inform public health responses in the Deep South by identifying HIV hotspots and community-level factors associated with clustering.

Objective: The goal of this study was to identify and characterize HIV clusters in Mississippi through analysis of state-level HIV surveillance data.

Methods: We used a combination of spatial epidemiology and statistical modeling to identify and characterize HIV hotspots in Mississippi census tracts (n=658) from 2008 to 2014. We conducted spatial analyses of all …

Bystander Program Effectiveness To Reduce Violence Acceptance: Rct In High Schools, Ann L. Coker, Heather M. Bush, Candace J. Brancato, Emily R. Clear, Eileen A. Recktenwald

Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Publications

Bystander-based violence prevention interventions have shown efficacy to reduce dating violence and sexual violence acceptance at the individual level yet no large randomized controlled trial (RCT) has evaluated this effect at the high-school level and over time. This rigorous cluster-randomized controlled trial addresses this gap by evaluating intervention effectiveness at both school and individual levels. Kentucky high schools were randomized to intervention or control conditions. In intervention schools educators provided school-wide ‘Green Dot’ presentations and bystander training with student popular opinion leaders. Each spring from 2010 to 2014; 73,044 students completed anonymous surveys with no missing data on relevant outcomes. …

How Much Do We Spend? Creating Historical Estimates Of Public Health Expenditures In The United States At The Federal, State, And Local Levels, Jonathon P. Leider, Beth Resnick, David Bishai, F. Douglas Scutchfield

Health Management and Policy Faculty Publications

The United States has a complex governmental public health system. Agencies at the federal, state, and local levels all contribute to the protection and promotion of the population's health. Whether the modern public health system is well situated to deliver essential public health services, however, is an open question. In some part, its readiness relates to how agencies are funded and to what ends. A mix of Federalism, home rule, and happenstance has contributed to a siloed funding system in the United States, whereby health agencies are given particular dollars for particular tasks. Little discretionary funding remains. Furthermore, tracking how …

Radiation Dose Measurements In A 256-Slice Computed Tomography Scanner, Victor J. Weir, Jie Zhang

Radiology Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare computed tomography (CT) radiation dose measurement methods proposed by TG111, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and a direct dose profile integral (DPI) measurement method. Methods: Pencil and Farmer ion chambers are used for integrating dose profiles at different beam widths in a 60 cm long body phantom. Resulting DPI is used to calculate CT dose index (CTDI) at each beam width. Measurements are also done for a pencil chamber inserted into a 15 cm body phantom at the reference beam width. The reference measurement is scaled with pencil chamber measurements in air …

Calcification Of The Stylohyoid Complex In Libyans, Galal Omami

Oral Health Practice Faculty Publications

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and pattern of calcification of the stylohyoid complex in Libyan population.

Material and methods: Archived digital panoramic radiographs of 3343 patients were collected; 181 images were excluded for underage or poor image quality. Thus, the images of 3162 patients (1081 men, 2081 women; women-to-men ratio, 2:1; age range, 16–68 years; mean age, 36.7 years) retrieved and assigned to one of four morphological patterns of the stylohyoid complex: regular, elongated, calcified, and undetected. Data were analyzed with the Χ² test using SPSS (Chicago, IL, USA); P values lower than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: …

Genetic Variants In Hsd17b3, Smad3, And Ipo11 Impact Circulating Lipids In Response To Fenofibrate In Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes, Daniel M. Rotroff, Sonja S. Pijut, Skylar W. Marvel, John R. Jack, Tammy M. Havener, Aurora Pujol, Agatha Schluter, Gregory A. Graf, Henry N. Ginsberg, Hetal S. Shah, He Gao, Mario-Luca Morieri, Alessandro Doria, Josyf C. Mychaleckyi, Howard L. Mcleod, John B. Buse, Michael J. Wagner, Alison A. Motsinger-Reif, Accord/Accordion Investigators

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and dyslipidemia are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Fibrates are a class of drugs prescribed to treat dyslipidemia, but variation in response has been observed. To evaluate common and rare genetic variants that impact lipid responses to fenofibrate in statin‐treated patients with T2D, we examined lipid changes in response to fenofibrate therapy using a genomewide association study (GWAS). Associations were followed‐up using gene expression studies in mice. Common variants in SMAD3 and IPO11 were marginally associated with lipid changes in black subjects (P < 5 × 10^‐6). Rare variant and gene expression changes …

Dental Students' Skills Assessments: Comparisons Of Daily Clinical Grades And Clinical And Laboratory Assessments, Elizangela Bertoli, Kristy Pepper Lawson, Susan S. Bishop

Oral Health Practice Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to compare the daily clinical grades of third-year dental students during routine clinical activities involving direct and indirect operative procedures to clinical and laboratory assessments. The authors compared students’ daily clinical grades to graded clinical assessments and compared daily clinical grades to laboratory assessments at one U.S. dental school. A total of 50 third-year students (participation rate: 98%) participated in this study during the school year of 2014–15. The study analyzed the students’ daily clinical grades and graded assessments during regular clinical activities and two laboratory examinations. The results found no statistically significant differences …

Extracellular Vesicles Released By Cardiomyocytes In A Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiac Injury Mouse Model Contain Protein Biomarkers Of Early Cardiac Injury, Chontida Yarana, Dustin W. Carroll, Jing Chen, Luksana Chaiswing, Yanming Zhao, Teresa Noel, Michael Alstott, Younsoo Bae, Emily V. Dressler, Jeffrey A. Moscow, D. Allan Butterfield, Haining Zhu, Daret K. St. Clair

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Purpose—Cardiac injury is a major cause of death in cancer survivors, and biomarkers for it are detectable only after tissue injury has occurred. Extracellular vesicles (EV) remove toxic biomolecules from tissues and can be detected in the blood. Here, we evaluate the potential of using circulating EVs as early diagnostic markers for long-term cardiac injury.

Experimental Design—Using a mouse model of doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiac injury, we quantified serum EVs, analyzed proteomes, measured oxidized protein levels in serum EVs released after DOX treatment, and investigated the alteration of EV content.

Results—Treatment with DOX caused a significant increase in …

Neutrophils From Both Susceptible And Resistant Mice Efficiently Kill Opsonized Listeria Monocytogenes, Michelle G. Pitts, Travis A. Combs, Sarah E. F. D'Orazio

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Inbred mouse strains differ in their susceptibility to infection with the facultative intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, largely due to delayed or deficient innate immune responses. Previous antibody depletion studies suggested that neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes [PMN]) were particularly important for clearance in the liver, but the ability of PMN from susceptible and resistant mice to directly kill L. monocytogenes has not been examined. In this study, we showed that PMN infiltrated the livers of BALB/c/By/J (BALB/c) and C57BL/6 (B6) mice in similar numbers and that both cell types readily migrated toward leukotriene B4 in an in vitro chemotaxis assay. However, …

Early Relapse After Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Remains A Poor Prognostic Factor In Multiple Myeloma But Outcomes Have Improved Over Time, Shaji K. Kumar, Angela Dispenzieri, Raphael Fraser, Fei Mingwei, Gorgun Akpek, Robert Cornell, Mohamed Kharfan-Dabaja, Cesar Freytes, Shahrukh Hashmi, Gerhard C. Hildebrandt, Leona Holmberg, Robert Kyle, Hillard Lazarus, Cindy Lee, Jospeh Mikhael, Taiga Nishihori, Jason Tay, Saad Usmani, David Vesole, Ravi Vij, Baldeep Wirk, Amrita Krishnan, Cristina Gasparetto, Tomer Mark, Yago Nieto, Parameswaran Hari, Anita D'Souza

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Duration of initial disease response remains a strong prognostic factor in multiple myeloma (MM) particularly for upfront autologous hematopoietic cell transplant (AHCT) recipients. We hypothesized that new drug classes and combinations employed prior to AHCT as well as after post-AHCT relapse may have changed the natural history of MM in this population. We analyzed the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research database to track overall survival (OS) of MM patients receiving single AHCT within 12 months after diagnosis (N=3256) and relapsing early post-AHCT (< 24 months), and to identify factors predicting for early vs late relapses (24−48 months post-AHCT). Over three periods (2001–2004, 2005–2008, 2009–2013), patient characteristics were balanced except for lower proportion of Stage III, higher likelihood of one induction therapy with novel triplets and higher rates of planned post-AHCT maintenance over time. The proportion of patients relapsing early was stable over time at 35–38%. Factors reducing risk of early relapse included lower stage, chemosensitivity, transplant after 2008 and post-AHCT maintenance. Shorter post-relapse OS was associated with early relapse, IgA MM, Karnofsky < 90, stage III, > 1 line of induction and lack of maintenance. Post-AHCT early relapse remains …

Microbial Co-Infection Alters Macrophage Polarization, Phagosomal Escape, And Microbial Killing, Nikita H. Trivedi, Jieh-Juen Yu, Chiung-Yu Hung, Richard P. Doelger, Christopher S. Navara, Lisa Y. Armitige, Janakiram Seshu, Anthony P. Sinai, James P. Chambers, M. Neal Guentzel, Bernard P. Arulanandam

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Macrophages are important innate immune cells that respond to microbial insults. In response to multi-bacterial infection, the macrophage activation state may change upon exposure to nascent mediators, which results in different bacterial killing mechanism(s). In this study, we utilized two respiratory bacterial pathogens, Mycobacterium bovis (Bacillus Calmette Guẻrin, BCG) and Francisella tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS) with different phagocyte evasion mechanisms, as model microbes to assess the influence of initial bacterial infection on the macrophage response to secondary infection. Non-activated (M0) macrophages or activated M2-polarized cells (J774 cells transfected with the mouse IL-4 gene) were first infected with BCG for …

Bleeding Stomal Varices In Portal Hypertension, Karen Tran-Harding, Michael A. Winkler, Driss Raissi

Radiology Faculty Publications

We report a case of a 50-year-old man with a history of liver cirrhosis and colon cancer post end colostomy presenting to the emergency department with stomal bleeding and passage of clots into the colostomy bag. The patient was treated with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) and concomitant embolization of the stomal varices via the TIPS shunt using N-butyl cyanoacrylate mixed with ethiodol. Although stomal variceal bleeding is uncommon, this entity can have up to 40% mortality upon initial presentation, given the challenges in diagnosis and management. Currently, there are no established standard treatments for stomal variceal bleeding. In addition, …

Comparison Of Serum And Cervical Cytokine Levels Throughout Pregnancy Between Preterm And Term Births, Kristin Ashford, Niraj R. Chavan, Amanda T. Wiggins, Molly Malany Sayre, Andrea Mccubbin, Agatha S. Critchfield, John O'Brien

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective To assess differences in cytokine levels in cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) and serum across trimesters between women with preterm births (PTBs) and full-term births.

Study Design This multicenter study enrolled 302 women with a singleton gestation. CVF and serum cytokines, interleukin 1α (IL-1α), IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, were measured. Women with at least one cytokine assessment and noted PTB status in their medical record were retained in the study (N = 272). Data were analyzed using mixed modeling (main effects of PTBs and time/trimester).

Results For the CVF …

Self-Reported Risk And Delinquent Behavior And Problem Behavioral Intention In Hong Kong Adolescents: The Role Of Moral Competence And Spirituality, Daniel T. L. Shek, Xiaoqin Zhu

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Based on the six-wave data collected from Grade 7 to Grade 12 students (N = 3,328 at Wave 1), this pioneer study examined the development of problem behaviors (risk and delinquent behavior and problem behavioral intention) and the predictors (moral competence and spirituality) among adolescents in Hong Kong. Individual growth curve models revealed that while risk and delinquent behavior accelerated and then slowed down in the high school years, adolescent problem behavioral intention slightly accelerated over time. After controlling the background socio-demographic factors, moral competence and spirituality were negatively associated with risk and delinquent behavior as well as problem …

The Role Of Nutrition In Influencing Mechanisms Involved In Environmentally Mediated Diseases, Bernhard Hennig, Michael C. Petriello, Mary V. Gamble, Young-Joon Surh, Laura A. Kresty, Norbert Frank, Nuchanart Rangkadilok, Mathuros Ruchirawat, William A. Suk

Superfund Research Center Faculty Publications

Human exposure to environmental contaminants such as persistent chlorinated organics, heavy metals, pesticides, phthalates, flame retardants, electronic waste and airborne pollutants around the world, and especially in Southeast Asian regions, are significant and require urgent attention. Given this widespread contamination and abundance of such toxins as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the ecosystem, it is unlikely that remediation alone will be sufficient to address the health impacts associated with this exposure. Furthermore, we must assume that the impact on health of some of these contaminants results in populations with extraordinary vulnerabilities to disease risks. Further exacerbating risk; infectious diseases, poverty …