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Articles 59221 - 59250 of 71418

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Identification And Characterization Of Virulence Factors Of Mycoplasmas, Wenyi Luo Jan 2010

Identification And Characterization Of Virulence Factors Of Mycoplasmas, Wenyi Luo

All ETDs from UAB

Mycoplasmas cause a group of diseases that are characterized by their chronicity and resistance to treatment. Diseases caused by the murine pathogens Mycoplasma pulmonis and Mycoplasma arthritidis are often studied as models of human diseases caused by a variety of chronic pathogens that induce a similar pathology. Among several candidate pathogenic factors, superantigens and degradative enzymes such as glycosidases are potentially important but not well characterized. The M. arthritidis mitogen (MAM) is a superantigen secreted by M. arthritidis. Its role with respect to arthritogenicity and toxicity is unclear. To improve the efficiency of transformation and hence enhance efforts to generate …

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Lim Kinase 1 And Twinstar In Synaptic Plasticity Of Drosophila Motoneurons, James Brian Machamer Jan 2010

Lim Kinase 1 And Twinstar In Synaptic Plasticity Of Drosophila Motoneurons, James Brian Machamer

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Modification of the actin cytoskeleton is essential for synaptic plasticity, which is believed to underlie the brain's capacity for learning and memory. Regulation of the actin cytoskeleton by LIM Kinases (LIMK1 and LIMK2) and their downstream targets Actin Depolymerization Factor/Cofilin (ADF/Cofilin) in the mouse forebrain modulates dendritic spine morphology, synaptic function, long-term potentiation (LTP), and learning and memory, but appear dispensable for the regulation of most forms of presynaptic plasticity. However, these analyses were performed in mice mutant for single members of these gene families, and thus the interpretation of these results is confounded by potential compensatory activity of homologous …

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Translocation And Function Of Akt In The Mitochondria, Keri A. Mans Jan 2010

Translocation And Function Of Akt In The Mitochondria, Keri A. Mans

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The ubiquitously expressed kinase Akt is a known survival protein, and is involved in multiple cell signaling cascades, notably the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. Active Akt translocates from the plasma membrane to different subcellular compartments, including mitochondria, where it phosphorylates compartment-specific substrates. The mechanism of this translocation and the specific function of Akt within the mitochondria remains a mystery. The goals of this study were to elucidate the mechanism by which Akt enters the mitochondria and examine the role of Akt in mitochondrial function. Finally, the possibilities of using post-mortem human brain tissue to study mitochondrial function in normal and …

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Translation Initiation Signaling Components Altered By Mechanical Load Dictate Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy, David Lawrence Mayhew Jan 2010

Translation Initiation Signaling Components Altered By Mechanical Load Dictate Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy, David Lawrence Mayhew

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The regulation of protein synthesis (i.e., mRNA translation) is an energetically costly and extensively regulated process, which is primarily regulated at the initiation step. Mechanical load is a potent stimulus of translation in skeletal muscle, and thus this tissue provides an excellent model system to study the plasticity of the translational apparatus. We investigated the effects of alterations in translation initiation cell signaling pathways in skeletal muscle using a variety of in vitro and in vivo mouse and human model systems. Collectively, our results suggest that, although many proteins in translational signaling pathways are responsive to mechanical load, the response …

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A Comparative Study Of Radiological Threat Environments And Radiation Control, Lisa C. Mccormick Jan 2010

A Comparative Study Of Radiological Threat Environments And Radiation Control, Lisa C. Mccormick

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Radiation Control Programs (RCPs) differ from state to state as does their integration with public health agencies. The purpose of this study was threefold: to describe and compare across states the environmental radiological attributes of RCPs, to describe how these programs are organized structurally within state government, and to identify if RCPs differ structurally in environments of differing radiological attributes. Publicly available information from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state agency websites was used to determine both the environmental attributes and the different approaches states use to organize RCPs. States were grouped based on environmental attributes by employing a principle …

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Prevalence And Susceptibility Of Cryptococcus Neoformans To Fluconazole In Hiv Patients In Kenya, Rennatus Magina Mdodo Jan 2010

Prevalence And Susceptibility Of Cryptococcus Neoformans To Fluconazole In Hiv Patients In Kenya, Rennatus Magina Mdodo

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In an applied analysis, examining the association between log transformed C-reactive

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Genotyping Of Streptococcus Mutans Using Multilocus Sequence Typing, Stephanie Momeni Jan 2010

Genotyping Of Streptococcus Mutans Using Multilocus Sequence Typing, Stephanie Momeni

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ABSTRACT The role of Streptococcus mutans has been extensively studied using a variety of genotyping techniques. Repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) is an effective tool for screening large-scale epidemiological studies with high discriminatory power and reproducibility. For this study, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis is used to evaluate genotypes previously identified as unique using rep-PCR. Twenty-two unique S. mutans rep- PCR genotypes were selected from a longitudinal study. Four additional isolates were selected from each genotype group of the 6 most commonly occurring genotypes (n=30) for further analysis. Real-time PCR was performed using eight housekeeping S. mutans gene …

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The Role Of Parental Autonomy Support In The Motivation Of The Health Behaviors Of Diet And Exercise In Older Adolescents, Shannon A. Morrison Jan 2010

The Role Of Parental Autonomy Support In The Motivation Of The Health Behaviors Of Diet And Exercise In Older Adolescents, Shannon A. Morrison

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regardless of the degree of heteroskedasticity. Moreover, in the presence of high leverage

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Sexual Risk Behavior Among African-American Adolescents: Trajectories And Their Predictors, Maureen Muchimba Jan 2010

Sexual Risk Behavior Among African-American Adolescents: Trajectories And Their Predictors, Maureen Muchimba

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Although adolescents in the United States are at high risk of sexually transmitted infections and HIV, research indicates that many do not use condoms consistently and have high numbers of lifetime multiple sexual partners. Among adolescents, different subgroups exhibit distinct patterns of sexual behavior over time. The purpose of this dissertation was to identify trajectories of sexual risk behavior among adolescents and to determine individual, family and community factors that are predictive of membership to trajectory groups. Data were collected on sexual risk behavior among low-income African-American adolescents in Mobile County, Alabama. Gender-balanced subsamples of risky sex (N = 1294) …

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Fiber Modification Of Adenoviral Vectors For Cancer Gene Therapy, Miho Murakami Jan 2010

Fiber Modification Of Adenoviral Vectors For Cancer Gene Therapy, Miho Murakami

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Cancer still remains a major public health concern despite improvements in primary prevention, early detection and advanced treatments. Cancer gene therapy using human adenovirus serotype 5 (HAdV-5) as a vector has been explored as a new therapeutic approach. HAdV-5 infection is initiated by binding to the coxsackie virus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), its primary cellular receptor. However, the levels and patterns of expression of CAR vary greatly in clinical tumor tissue samples, and the expression lev-els tend to decrease as the tumors progress. The low level expression of CAR in target cancer cells diminishes the utility of HAdV-5 as a …

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Organizational Support, Perceived Social Support, And Intent To Turnover Among Psychiatric Nurses: A Mixed Methods Study., Beverly Jean Myers Jan 2010

Organizational Support, Perceived Social Support, And Intent To Turnover Among Psychiatric Nurses: A Mixed Methods Study., Beverly Jean Myers

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Nurse turnover compromises the quality of patient care and leads to an increase in organizational costs. Nurse turnover is defined as the intent to leave one's current job position either to transfer to another unit within the organization or to terminate employment with the organization. Few studies have examined the role social support received at work as well as at home, personal characteristics and work factors play in guiding psychiatric nurses' decisions to leave a current nursing position (turnover). The overall purpose of this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was to explore factors that contribute to psychiatric nurses' intent to turnover. …

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Occupational Stress, Job Satisfaction And Job Performance Among Hospital Nurses In Kampala Uganda, Rose Chalo Nabirye Jan 2010

Occupational Stress, Job Satisfaction And Job Performance Among Hospital Nurses In Kampala Uganda, Rose Chalo Nabirye

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ABSTRACT Occupational stress, a common occurrence among various professions worldwide, is regarded as a major occupational health problem for healthcare professionals especially nurses. Occupational stress has been reported to affect job satisfaction and job performance among nurses, thus compromising nursing care and placing patients' lives at risk. Stress is a complex phenomenon resulting from the interaction between individuals and the environment. Therefore, significant differences in occupational stress, job satisfaction and job performance among nurses may exist due to different work settings. The aims of the study were to: 1) examine the relationships between occupational stress, job satisfaction and job performance …

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Age Bias In Physicians' Recommendation For Physical Activity, Adherence, And Health Related Quality Of Life Among Individuals With Arthritis, Shamly Austin Jan 2010

Age Bias In Physicians' Recommendation For Physical Activity, Adherence, And Health Related Quality Of Life Among Individuals With Arthritis, Shamly Austin

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The association between individuals' ages, physicians' recommendations for physical activity, adherence, and health related quality of life among individuals with arthritis was examined using the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The sample included 33,071 individuals with self-reported, physician-diagnosed arthritis who were 45 years or older. To answer the research questions, three sets of data were created: a whole sample (n=33,071), those 45-64 years old (n=17,607), and those 65 years or older (n=15,464). The conceptual framework for the study was based on the Behavioral Model of Health Services Utilization. The variables of interests were physicians' recommendations for physical activity, adherence …

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The Effects Of Weight Reduction On Obesity-Related Cancer Biomarkers And In Vitro Cancer Cell Growth, Maria Azrad Jan 2010

The Effects Of Weight Reduction On Obesity-Related Cancer Biomarkers And In Vitro Cancer Cell Growth, Maria Azrad

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Obesity increases the risk for breast and endometrial cancers while weight loss reduces the risk for these cancers. One aim of this dissertation was to determine the effects of weight loss from an overweight state [body mass index (BMI) 27-30] to a normal weight state on several obesity-related cancer biomarkers in African-American (AA) and European-American (EA) premenopausal women. We also sought to determine whether the method of weight loss, caloric restriction alone (CR) or combined with exercise resulted in similar changes in cancer biomarkers. The biomarkers of interest were urinary estrogen metabolites, and serum adiponectin, leptin, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, …

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Evolutionarily Conserved Cis-Acting Elements Regulate Lineage-Specific Expression Of Ifng, Anand Balasubramani Jan 2010

Evolutionarily Conserved Cis-Acting Elements Regulate Lineage-Specific Expression Of Ifng, Anand Balasubramani

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The ability to differentially manipulate available genetic information in order to generate diverse cellular identities represents an innovation of complex multicellular eukaryotic organisms. Cis-acting modules that regulate transcription play extremely important roles in ensuring lineage-specific expression of genes that define cellular identities. In our studies, using Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma, a cytokine encoded by the gene Ifng), a cytokine encoded by T, NK and NKT cells as a model, we have identified and characterized the roles of key cis regulatory elements that facilitate T lineage specific induction as well as repression of Ifng transcription. In particular, our studies have highlighted the role …

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Regulation Of The Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1 By Protein Kinase C And Matriptase, Edlira Bashari Jan 2010

Regulation Of The Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1 By Protein Kinase C And Matriptase, Edlira Bashari

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Acid-sensing ion channel 1 (ASIC1) is a member of the Epithelial Na+ channel/ Degenerin (ENaC/Deg) family of ion channels. Like the other members of this family, it is sensitive to the diuretic amiloride. It was previously shown that both normal astrocytes and glioma cells express ASIC1 and some ENaC subunits. However, only high-grade glioma cells exhibit an inward Na+ current that is sensitive to amiloride and to psalmotoxin 1 (PcTX-1), a specific blocker of ASIC1. Amiloride, PcTX-1, and the knockdown of ASIC1 reduce glioma cell migration. The exact composition of the amiloride-sensitive channel and the molecular mechanisms that regulate its …

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Canonical Wnt Signaling By The Proteolytic Processing Of Lrp6, Brandon Richard Beagle Jan 2010

Canonical Wnt Signaling By The Proteolytic Processing Of Lrp6, Brandon Richard Beagle

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Low density Lipoprotein receptor Related 6 (LRP6) functions as an essential co-receptor for Wnt/Beat;-catenin signaling as pathway activation, reflected by cytosolic Beta-catenin stabilization and TCF/LEF-1 transactivation, requires Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3Beta(GSK3Beta)-mediated phosphorylation of multiple PPP(S/T)P motifs within the membrane anchored LRP6 intracellular domain. Additionally, LRP6 undergoes a proteolytic cleavage event resulting in the formation of a soluble LRP6 intracellular domain (LRP6-ICD). LRP6-ICD can function within the Wnt/Beta-catenin pathway by interacting with GSK3Beta and attenuating the phosphorylation of GSK3Beta substrates such as cytosolic Beta-catenin as well as stimulate TCF/LEF-1 activity. However, LRP6-ICD's role(s) within the Wnt/Beta-catenin pathway and the mechanism(s) that …

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Molecular Mechanisms Of Breast Cancer Metastasis: Gap Junction Intercellular Communication And The Bone Microenvironment, Thomas Morgan Bodenstine Jan 2010

Molecular Mechanisms Of Breast Cancer Metastasis: Gap Junction Intercellular Communication And The Bone Microenvironment, Thomas Morgan Bodenstine

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Metastatic disease accounts for the overwhelming majority of cancer related deaths. More specifically, breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in women and breast cancer cells metastasize to bone more than any other secondary site. Upon arriving within the bone microenvironment, breast cancer cells interact with bone marrow cells, leading to changes in bone biology that favor growth of the cancer cells. Additionally, some cancer cells are capable of direct cellular communication with cells at metastatic sites via dysregulation of a family of proteins known as connexins. This direct, physical communication is known as gap junctional intercellular …

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Role Of Transient Receptor Potential Canonical Channels In Glioma Cell Biology, Valerie Christine Bomben Jan 2010

Role Of Transient Receptor Potential Canonical Channels In Glioma Cell Biology, Valerie Christine Bomben

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ROLE OF TRANSIENT RECEPTOR POTENTIAL CANONICAL CHANNELS IN GLIOMA CELL BIOLOGY VALERIE C. BOMBEN DEPARTMENT OF NEUROBIOLOGY ABSTRACT Gliomas, primary brain tumors derived from glial cells, constitute the majority of malignant tumors within the central nervous system. The most malignant of these tumors, grade IV Glioblastoma multiforme, are characterized by extensive proliferation, cellular and nuclear atypia, angiogenesis, areas of necrosis, and widespread invasion into the brain parenchyma. Data from our lab and others have implicated ion channels in the invasion and proliferation of glioma cells. Moreover, calcium signaling in gliomas and other cells has been implicated in both migration and …

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Role Of Heme Oxygenase-1 In Acute Kidney Injury, Subhashini Bolisetty Jan 2010

Role Of Heme Oxygenase-1 In Acute Kidney Injury, Subhashini Bolisetty

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Acute kidney injury (AKI), defined as the rapid loss of kidney function, is often seen in the setting of multiple organ failure in critically ill patients. Lack of established therapeutic approaches to overcome AKI has lead to unacceptably high incidence of morbidity and mortality in these patients. The molecular mechanisms that lead to AKI often have oxidative stress as a common pathogenic event. The kidney responds by prompt induction of its own anti-oxidant machinery including the highly inducible, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic gene-heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). This microsomal enzyme degrades pro-oxidant heme, which is released from heme proteins. The cytoprotective properties of …

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Analyzing Dna Topology And Transcription In Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium During Dichotomous Growth, Betty M. Booker Jan 2010

Analyzing Dna Topology And Transcription In Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium During Dichotomous Growth, Betty M. Booker

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The bacterial chromosome is dynamic. The principle goal of my research is to understand how DNA topology is altered by transcription in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2. Gamma delta-resolution requires two direct repeat Res sites to pair a plectonemic synapse. Previous work from our lab showed that the zones of high transcription inhibited gamma delta-resolution. Using phage λ recombineering methods, we have developed Salmonella strains to study ribosomal RNA operons, which are the most highly transcribed genes in bacteria. We propose a molecular model for how supercoiling generated by high levels of transcription modifies chromosome structure.

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Intimate Partner Violence Among Latinas In Central Alabama: Sociodemographic Characteristics, Perceptions Of Abuse, And Help-Seeking Behaviors, Angela Boy Jan 2010

Intimate Partner Violence Among Latinas In Central Alabama: Sociodemographic Characteristics, Perceptions Of Abuse, And Help-Seeking Behaviors, Angela Boy

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This study utilized a cross-sectional design to survey 272 Latinas in the Birmingham metropolitan area and interview 29 Latinas who were known victims of IPV in the community. Prevalence, socio-demographic characteristics, perceptions of abuse, and help-seeking behaviors were examined, and the psychometric properties of the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) were assessed. Survey findings indicated current and lifetime IPV prevalence rates of 39.4% and 44.9%, respectively, among women aged 19-55. Victims were 1.9 times more likely to have been born in Central/South America than non-victims. Survey respondents had an average score of 32.5 (range 11-44) on the Perceptions of Abuse …

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Evolution Of Pneumococcal Serogroup 6, Preston Eugene Bratcher Jan 2010

Evolution Of Pneumococcal Serogroup 6, Preston Eugene Bratcher

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Serogroup 6 of Streptococcus pneumoniae has been known to contain three serotypes, named 6A, 6B and 6C, with highly homologous capsule gene loci. The 6A and 6B capsule gene loci consistently differ from each other by only one nucleotide in the wciP gene. The 6A capsule gene locus has a galactosyltransferase (wciNα), which has been replaced with a glucosyltransferase (wciNß) in the 6C capsule gene locus. We considered that a new serotype, 6D, would be possible if the glucosyltransferase found in 6C strains was combined with the wciP gene from a 6B strain. We demonstrate that this gene combination yields …

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Regulation Of Apoptosis By Smac, Iaps , And The Ubiquitin Proteasome System, Stephen Peter Burke Jan 2010

Regulation Of Apoptosis By Smac, Iaps , And The Ubiquitin Proteasome System, Stephen Peter Burke

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iii

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Maternal Gestational Glucose Concentration And Offspring Body Composition, Insulin Sensitivity, And Ss-Cell Function, Nikki C. Bush Jan 2010

Maternal Gestational Glucose Concentration And Offspring Body Composition, Insulin Sensitivity, And Ss-Cell Function, Nikki C. Bush

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Background: Evidence suggests that intrauterine exposure to elevated glucose concentrations may be a mediating factor in prenatal programming of offspring disease risk. However, studies examining the effects of maternal glucose concentration on measures of body composition, insulin sensitivity, and ß-cell response in prepubertal children are limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the associations of maternal glucose concentration with children's fat mass, insulin sensitivity, and ß-cell response using robust and physiologic measures. Methods: Participants were 40 children aged 5-10 years. Children's insulin sensitivity index (SI) and measures of basal, static, dynamic, and total ß-cell response were determined …

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Hpv Dna Partitioning During Mitosis As Followed By Fluorescence Microscopy, Robert J. Carter Jan 2010

Hpv Dna Partitioning During Mitosis As Followed By Fluorescence Microscopy, Robert J. Carter

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Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are small, double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tumor viruses capable of establishing persistent infections in the epithelia. After infecting actively-dividing basal cells, the papillomavirus (PV) genome is main-tained as extrachromosomal nuclear plasmids. It is largely unknown how the viral ge-nome is maintained in actively-dividing cells. Our lab demonstrated that several HPV genotypes appear to employ a distinct strategy to facilitate partitioning of HPV DNA into daughter cells during mitosis. Association of the HPV-11 origin of replication (ori)-binding protein E2 with the mitotic apparatus via cellular adapter proteins is thought to mediate equal partitioning of HPV genomes into daughter …

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Development And Validation Of A Scale To Measure Fear Of Physical Response To Exercise Among Overweight And Obese Adults, Brooks Cotton Wingo Jan 2010

Development And Validation Of A Scale To Measure Fear Of Physical Response To Exercise Among Overweight And Obese Adults, Brooks Cotton Wingo

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specified and alteration of both Type I and Type II error rates occurs. We examine

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Therapeutic Interventions For Chlorine Gas Induced Lung Injury, Amit Kumar Yadav Jan 2010

Therapeutic Interventions For Chlorine Gas Induced Lung Injury, Amit Kumar Yadav

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Rationale: Nitrite (NO2-) has been shown to limit injury to the heart, liver and kidneys in various models of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Currently, potential protective effects of systemic NO2- in limiting lung injury or enhancing repair have not been documented. Objectives: To assess the efficacy and mechanisms by which post-exposure intra-peritoneal injections of NO2- mitigate Cl2 induced lung injury in rats. Methods: Rats were exposed to Cl2 (400 ppm) for 30 minutes and returned to room air. Nitrite (1mg/Kg) or saline were administered intraperitoneally at 10 min, 2, 4 and 6 hrs post exposure. Rats were sacrificed at 6 hrs or …

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The Structural And Functional Studies Of Yeast Nucleotide Exchange Factor Sil1p And Its Complex With Bip, Ming Yan Jan 2010

The Structural And Functional Studies Of Yeast Nucleotide Exchange Factor Sil1p And Its Complex With Bip, Ming Yan

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Sil1 is an Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) localized protein. SIL1 was initially identified as a UPR-regulated gene. Later studies show Sil1 functions as the nucleotide exchange factor of ER lumenal Hsp70--Bip by directly interacting with the ATPase domain of Bip. Currently, the molecular mechanism how Sil1 catalyzes nucleotide exchange of Bip is still elusive. In this study we determine the complex structure of yeast S.cerevisia Sil1 and Bip (also called Kar2) ATPase domain at 2.3Å resolution by Single-anomalous dispersion (SAD) methods. The Sil1-Bip complex structure reveals that one sil1 molecule interacts with one Bip ATPase domain molecule to form the complex. …

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The Role Of Map Kinase Cascade In Msp Signaling Response, Youfeng Yang Jan 2010

The Role Of Map Kinase Cascade In Msp Signaling Response, Youfeng Yang

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The MSP domain is an evolutionarily conserved immunoglobulin-like structure of about 120 amino acids (Miller et al., 2001). A P56S missense mutation in the MSP domain of the human vapb gene is associated with a dominantly inherited form of Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) (Nishimura et al., 2004). In C. elegans, secreted MSP binds to the VAB-1 Eph receptor and other receptors on oocyte and ovarian sheath cell surfaces (Miller et al., 2003). We have recently shown that the P56S mutation prevents secretion of the VAPB MSP domain, suggesting that the signaling function is important in …

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