Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Binding Between The Niemann–Pick C1 Protein And A Photoactivatable Cholesterol Analog Requires A Functional Sterol-Sensing Domain, Nobutaka Ohgami, Dennis C. Ko, Matthew Thomas, Matthew P. Scott, Catherine C. Y. Chang, Ta-Yuan Chang

Dartmouth Scholarship

Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) 1 protein plays important roles in moving cholesterol and other lipids out of late endosomes by means of vesicular trafficking, but it is not known whether NPC1 directly interacts with cholesterol. We performed photoaffinity labeling of intact cells expressing fluorescent protein (FP)-tagged NPC1 by using [(3)H]7,7-azocholestanol ([(3)H]AC). After immunoprecipitation, (3)H-labeled NPC1-GFP appeared as a single band. Including excess unlabeled sterol to the labeling reaction significantly diminished the labeling. Altering the NPC1 sterol-sensing domain (SSD) with loss-of-function mutations (P692S and Y635C) severely reduced the extent of labeling. To further demonstrate the specificity of labeling, we show that …

Estimation Of Direct And Indirect Causal Effects In Longitudinal Studies, Mark J. Van Der Laan, Maya L. Petersen

U.C. Berkeley Division of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

The causal effect of a treatment on an outcome is generally mediated by several intermediate variables. Estimation of the component of the causal effect of a treatment that is mediated by a given intermediate variable (the indirect effect of the treatment), and the component that is not mediated by that intermediate variable (the direct effect of the treatment) is often relevant to mechanistic understanding and to the design of clinical and public health interventions. Under the assumption of no-unmeasured confounders, Robins & Greenland (1992) and Pearl (2000), develop two identifiability results for direct and indirect causal effects. They define an …

Durable Cytotoxic Immune Responses Against Gp120 Elicited By Recombinant Sv40 Vectors Encoding Hiv-1 Gp120 +/- Il-15., Hayley J Mckee, Patricia Y T'Sao, Maria Vera, Puri Fortes, David S Strayer

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: A vaccine that elicits durable, powerful anti-HIV immunity remains an elusive goal. In these studies we tested whether multiple treatments with viral vector-delivered HIV envelope antigen (gp120), with and without IL-15, could help to approach that goal. For this purpose, we used recombinant Tag-deleted SV40-derived vectors (rSV40s), since they do not elicit neutralizing antibody responses, and so can be given multiply without loss of transduction efficiency. METHODS: SV(gp120) carried the coding sequences for HIV-1NL4-3 Env, and SV(mIL-15) carried the cDNA for mouse IL-15. Singly, and in combination, these two vectors were given monthly to BALB/cJ mice. Cytotoxic immunity and …

Method Of Inhibiting Alu Rna And Therapeutic Uses Thereof, Jayakrishna Ambati

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Patents

The presently-disclosed subject matter includes methods of identifying an Alu RNA inhibitor, and methods and compo sitions for inhibiting Alu RNA. Methods and compositions can be used for the treatment of geographic atrophy and other conditions of interest.

Immunopathogenesis Of Brain Abscess., Tammy Kielian

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

Brain abscess represents a significant medical problem despite recent advances made in detection and therapy. Due to the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains and the ubiquitous nature of bacteria, the occurrence of brain abscess is likely to persist. Our laboratory has developed a mouse experimental brain abscess model allowing for the identification of key mediators in the CNS anti-bacterial immune response through the use of cytokine and chemokine knockout mice. Studies of primary microglia and astrocytes from neonatal mice have revealed that S. aureus, one of the main etiologic agents of brain abscess in humans, is a potent stimulus for …

Ada News - 08/16/2004, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.

Treatment Patterns For Cancer In Western Australia: Does Being Indigenous Make A Difference?, Sonja E. Hall, Caroline E. Bulsara, Max K. Bulsara, Timothy G. Leahy, Margaret R. Culbong, Delia Hendrie, C D'Arcy J. Holman

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To examine whether hospital patients with cancer who were identified as Indigenous were as likely to receive surgery for the cancer as non-Indigenous patients. Design, setting and patients: Epidemiological survey of all Western Australian (WA) patients who had a cancer registration in the state-based WA Record Linkage Project that mentioned cancer of the breast (1982–2000) or cancer of the lung or prostate (1982–2001).

Main outcome measures: The likelihoods of receiving breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy for breast cancer, lung surgery for lung cancer, or radical or non-radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer were compared between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations using …

Bovine Tuberculosis In Michigan White-Tailed Deer

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Starting in 1995 hunter harvested, road killed, and other dead deer were examined for bovine TB infection. White-tailed deer in Michigan have since been tested year round for bovine TB. Testing revealed that most of the TB positive animals were located in a core area in the northeastern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The core area is located around the four corners where the counties of Montmorency, Alpena, Oscoda and Alcona meet. Antrim, Crawford, Emmet, Iosco, Mecosta, Osceola, Otsego, Presque Isle, and Roscommon Counties have also had animals test positive for bovine TB.

In the U.S. today, the threat of …

Esophageal Muscle Physiology And Morphogenesis Require Assembly Of A Collagen Xix-Rich Basement Membrane Zone., Hideaki Sumiyoshi, Niv Mor, Sui Y Lee, Stephen Doty, Scott Henderson, Shizuko Tanaka, Hidekatsu Yoshioka, Satish Rattan, Francesco Ramirez

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Collagen XIX is an extremely rare extracellular matrix component that localizes to basement membrane zones and is transiently expressed by differentiating muscle cells. Characterization of mice harboring null and structural mutations of the collagen XIX (Col19a1) gene has revealed the critical contribution of this matrix protein to muscle physiology and differentiation. The phenotype includes smooth muscle motor dysfunction and hypertensive sphincter resulting from impaired swallowing-induced, nitric oxide-dependent relaxation of the sphincteric muscle. Muscle dysfunction was correlated with a disorganized matrix and a normal complement of enteric neurons and interstitial cells of Cajal. Mice without collagen XIX exhibit an additional defect, …

Similar Promotion Of Abeta1-42 Fibrillogenesis By Native Apolipoprotein E Epsilon3 And Epsilon4 Isoforms., David Sweeney, Ralph Martins, Harry Levine, Jonathan D Smith, Sam Gandy

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

The apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele contributes to the genetic susceptibility underlying a large proportion (~40-60%) of typical, sporadic Alzheimer disease. Apolipoprotein E deficient mice made transgenic for human apolipoprotein E epsilon4 accumulate excess cerebral amyloid when compared to similarly prepared mice expressing human apolipoprotein E epsilon3. Therefore, it is important to search for relevant interactions(s) between apolipoprotein E epsilon4 and Abeta in order to clarify the biological role for apolipoprotein E epsilon4 in Alzheimer disease. Using a thioflavine T (ThT)-based assay, we have investigated the effects of native human apolipoprotein E isoforms on the kinetics of Abeta fibrillogenesis. No obvious …

Similar Promotion Of Abeta1-42 Fibrillogenesis By Native Apolipoprotein E Epsilon3 And Epsilon4 Isoforms, David Sweeney, Ralph Martins, Harry Levine, Jonathan D. Smith, Sam Gandy

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele contributes to the genetic susceptibility underlying a large proportion (~40-60%) of typical, sporadic Alzheimer disease. Apolipoprotein E deficient mice made transgenic for human apolipoprotein E epsilon4 accumulate excess cerebral amyloid when compared to similarly prepared mice expressing human apolipoprotein E epsilon3. Therefore, it is important to search for relevant interactions(s) between apolipoprotein E epsilon4 and Abeta in order to clarify the biological role for apolipoprotein E epsilon4 in Alzheimer disease. Using a thioflavine T (ThT)-based assay, we have investigated the effects of native human apolipoprotein E isoforms on the kinetics of Abeta fibrillogenesis. No obvious …

Annual Report, 2003-2004, Jouni Uitto

Annual Reports and Administrative Documents

No abstract provided.

Excess Stroke In Mexican Americans Compared With Non-Hispanic Whites: The Brain Attack Surveillance In Corpus Christi Project, Lewis B Morgenstern, Melinda A Smith, Lynda D Lisabeth, Jan M H Risser, Ken Uchino, Nelda Garcia, Paxton J Longwell, David A Mcfarling, Olubumi Akuwumi, Areej Al-Wabil, Fahmi Al-Senani, Devin L Brown, Lemuel A Moyé

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mexican Americans are the largest subgroup of Hispanics, the largest minority population in the United States. Stroke is the leading cause of disability and third leading cause of death. The authors compared stroke incidence among Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites in a population-based study. Stroke cases were ascertained in Nueces County, Texas, utilizing concomitant active and passive surveillance. Cases were validated on the basis of source documentation by board-certified neurologists masked to subjects' ethnicity. From January 2000 to December 2002, 2,350 cerebrovascular events occurred. Of the completed strokes, 53% were in Mexican Americans. The crude cumulative incidence was 168/10,000 in …

Development Of A Safe Neutralization Assay For Sars-Cov And Characterization Of S-Glycoprotein, Dong P. Han, Hyung G. Kim, Young B. Kim, Michael W. Cho

Faculty Scholarship

The etiological agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been identified as a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV. Similar to other coronaviruses, spike (S)-glycoprotein of the virus interacts with a cellular receptor and mediates membrane fusion to allow viral entry into susceptible target cells. Accordingly, S-protein plays an important role in virus infection cycle and is the primary target of neutralizing antibodies. To begin to understand its biochemical and immunological properties, we expressed both full-length and ectodomain of the protein in various primate cells. Our results show that the protein has an electrophoretic mobility of about 160–170 kDa. The protein is …

Modified Amino Acid Copolymers Suppress Myelin Basic Protein 85–99-Induced Encephalomyelitis In Humanized Mice Through Different Effects On T Cells, Zsolt Illés, Joel N.H. Stern, Jay Reddy, Hanspeter Waldner, Marcin P. Mycko, Celia F. Brosnan, Stephan Ellmerich, Daniel M. Altmann, Laura Santambrogio, Jack L. Strominger, Vijay K. Kuchroo

Jay Reddy Publications

A humanized mouse bearing the HLA-DR2 (DRA/DRB1*1501) pro- tein associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and the myelin basic protein (MBP) 85–99-specific HLA-DR2-restricted T cell receptor from an MS patient has been used to examine the effectiveness of modified amino acid copolymers poly(F,Y,A,K)n and poly- (V,W,A,K)n in therapy of MBP 85–99-induced experimental auto-immune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in comparison to Copolymer 1 [Copaxone, poly(Y,E,A,K)n]. The copolymers were designed to optimize binding to HLA-DR2. Vaccination, prevention, and treatment of MBP-induced EAE in the humanized mice with copolymers FYAK and VWAK ameliorated EAE more effectively than Copolymer 1, reduced the number of pathological lesions, and …

Managing Your Program With Shrinking Finances, Michael Hartman

Faculty Works: AHS (2004-2023)

Presented at Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA

This presentation is intended for sonology educators. The lecture will discuss various methods of cost effective course delivery, recruiting, and obtaining outside resources. Pitfalls and lessons learned will round out the presentation.

Ada News - 08/02/2004, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.

Attachment And Depression Differentially Influence Nicotine Dependence Among Male And Female Undergraduates: A Preliminary Study, Dennis E. Mcchargue, Lee M. Cohen, Jessica W. Cook

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The authors surveyed a convenience sample of 208 undergraduate students who reported that they smoked cigarettes. The primary hypothesis they tested was whether gender predicted nicotine dependence. They further tested whether depression and attachment would mediate or moderate this relationship. Hierarchical regression analyses with social desirability and smoking stage of change entered as covariates indicated that women exhibited greater nicotine dependence than men did (p < .01). Lower attachment scores fully mediated this relationship, whereas elevated depression scores moderated the relationship. These findings suggest that depression and the inability to bond with peers may promote nicotine dependence among young female students.

Information Interface - Volume 32, Issue 3 - August/September 2004, George Washington University, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Information Interface (1976 - 2009)

News and information about Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library of interest to users. Includes articles on digital microscopes, Ovid OpenLinks and PubMed Linkout, library liaisons, and database search tips.

The Effects Of Music Preference And Exercise Intensity On Exercise Enjoyment And Perceived Exertion, Allison Dyrlund

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In spite of the well-known physical and psychological benefits of exercise roughly 50% of people who start an exercise program will have dropped out within six months. Therefore, it is important to examine the determinants of exercise adherence. Past research has shown that enjoyment is an essential factor in exercise adherence. Additionally, music has been shown to influence exercise enjoyment. The music and enjoyment literature has generally included most preferred and no music conditions, yet no one has considered a least preferred music condition. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of music preference and exercise …

Physiology And Biochemistry Of Lead Accumulation In Sesbania Drummondii, Adam Ruley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis presents the results of three different studies conducted to elucidate the physiology and biochemistry of lead tolerance of Sesbania drummondii. These studies were conducted to determine: 1) the presence of an antioxidant mechanism in S. drummondii to counteract oxidative stress resulting from Pb exposure, 2) the extent of Pb tolerance of S. drummondii seedlings grown in the presence of Pb and synthetic chelators in soil and 3) the expression of antioxidant enzymes in S. drummondii seedlings exposed to Pb and synthetic chelators in aqueous media. In the first study, Sesbania drummondii plants were grown in soil containing 0-10 …

Cloning And Sequencing Of Bovine Na+/K= Atpase Α-1 Sub-Unit, Srikanth Aakula

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The major focus of this project was cloning and sequencing the α-1 sub-unit of Na+/K+-ATase gene in bovine corneal endothelium. The Na+/K+-ATase, also called the Na+ pump, is a crucial transmembrane protein. By transporting water and ions from and through the cornea into the aqueous humor, it is responsible for maintenance of structural integrity, corneal hydration and thereby transparency of the cornea. The Na+ pump is characterized by a complex molecular heterogeneity that results from differential association of multiple isoforms of both a (the catalytic) and [3 (glycoprotein) sub-units. In the corneal endothelium, α-1 α-2, β-l and β-2 sub-units are …

Episodic Heavy Drinking And Marijuana Use Among Undergraduate Students At Western Kentucky University, Ariel L. Sarmiento

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research has documented that Episodic Heavy Drinking (EHD), defined as consuming four or more and five or more alcoholic drinks per drinking episode among females and males, respectively, is a prevalent risk behavior among undergraduate college students throughout the United States. Moreover, studies have shown that EHD is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality among college students as unintentional injuries, sexual assaults, and unsafe sexual behaviors among this population have been linked to this risk behavior.

Illicit substance use, although often portrayed as a separate risk behavior, is also associated with EHD. Nationally, the most frequently used illicit …

Living Donor Liver Transplantation: Surgical Techniques And Innovations, Vivian Mcalister

Data and Test Instruments

A colleague and I attended a talk about a set of liver transplant experiments in mice, which the speaker had designed to undermine a commonly held immunological belief. My companion (who should have known better) afterward asked me rhetorically, "What's next? Heart transplantation in a tadpole?"When does the awe-inspiring give way to the commonplace? Technically wonderful surgery is considered ordinary not because it is commonly done but because the holder of this opinion has no image of the technique.Not long ago, resectional hepatic surgery was followed by the development of orthotopic liver transplantation. Although both techniques have matured into conventional …

An Investigation Of Exercise-Induced Hypoalgesia After Isometric And Cardiovascular Exercise, Daniel G. Drury, Kristin J. Stuempfle, Robin J. Shannon, James L. Miller

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Exercise-induced hypoalgesia is a well-established phenomenon in the literature. The underlying mechanisms responsible for this augmentation of pain perception are not completely understood. The specific mode and intensity of exercise that creates hypoalgesia remains equivocal. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify if any differences existed in the exercise-induced hypoalgesia of isometric gripping exercise (IGE) and treadmill exercise (TE). A repeated measures design was used to determine the differences in pain threshold between acute exposure to IGE and TE. Twelve healthy male volunteers served as our subjects. Subjects were tested on three different days under three different conditions …

Homicides In The Workplace, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Other

To prevent workplace violence:

• Assessment for workplace violence risks should be done in all workplaces.
• Workplaces should have policies that clearly delineate that violence is not appropriate during any workplace interaction and violence policies should mirror other workplace policies in terms of strategies for reporting and investigation of incidents, and progressive discipline.
• A clear and consistent reporting system for workplace violence should be in place and every worker should understand how it works.
• Safety training should be attended by employers, supervisors, and employees.
• Policy, training, and employee assistance for domestic violence should be implemented in collaboration with community service providers.

Homicidios En El Lugar De Trabajo, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Other

Para prevenir la violencia ocupacional:

Una valoración de los riesgos de violencia ocupacional deberá ser llevada a cabo en todos los lugares de trabajo.

Los lugares de trabajo deben implementar políticas que aclaren que la violencia no es apropiada durante ninguna interacción laboral; de igual forma las políticas sobre violencia deberán reflejar los procedimientos del lugar de trabajo en términos de estrategias para reportar e investigar los casos y la progresión de la disciplina.

Un sistema de reporte de la violencia laboral claro y consistente deberá ser implementado en el lugar de trabajo, y cada trabajador deberá comprender como funciona. …

Il-5 Links Adaptive And Natural Immunity In Reducing Atherosclerotic Disease, Alan Daugherty, Debra L. Rateri, Victoria L. King

Gill Heart & Vascular Institute Faculty Publications

Oxidized LDL induces changes in several facets of the immune system, although the relationships between these facets and their contributions to atherogenesis have yet to be fully elucidated. A report in this issue of the JCI provides a novel demonstration of the adaptive immune system influencing the production of natural antibodies. The results demonstrate that injection of malondialdehyde-modified LDL promotes a Th2 response that in turn increases the titers of the natural antibody T15/EO6, which recognizes the oxidized phospholipid POVPC. Atherosclerotic lesion size in LDL receptor–deficient mice is reduced as a consequence of the increase in natural antibody titers, and …

Academic Performance Of Psychiatrists Compared To Other Specialists Before, During, And After Medical School., Frederick S. Sierles, Michael Vergare, Mohammadreza Hojat, Joseph S. Gonnella

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to compare psychiatrists with other physicians on measures of academic performance before, during, and after medical school.

METHOD: More than three decades of data for graduates of Jefferson Medical College (N=5,701) were analyzed. Those who pursued psychiatry were compared to physicians in seven other specialties on 18 performance measures. Analysis of covariance was used to control for gender effect.

RESULTS: Compared to other physicians, psychiatrists scored higher on measures of verbal ability and general information before medical school and on evaluations of knowledge and skills in behavioral sciences during medical school, but they scored lower …

Identification Of Sarv (Sa2062), A New Transcriptional Regulator, Is Repressed By Sara And Mgra (Sa0641) And Involved In The Regulation Of Autolysis In Staphylococcus Aureus, Adhar C. Manna, Susham S. Ingavale, Marybeth Maloney, Willem Van Wamel, Ambrose L. Cheung

Dartmouth Scholarship

The expression of genes involved in the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus is known to be controlled by global regulatory loci, including agr, sarA, sae, arlRS, lytSR, and sarA-like genes. Here we described a novel transcriptional regulator called sarV of the SarA protein family. The transcription of sarV is low or undetectable under in vitro conditions but is significantly augmented in sarA and mgrA (norR or rat) (SA0641) mutants. The sarA and mgrA genes act as repressors of sarV expression, as confirmed by transcriptional fusion and Northern analysis data. Purified SarA and MgrA proteins bound specifically to separate regions of the …