Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Patterns Of Information Behavior And Prostate Cancer Knowledge Among African-American Men, Levi Ross, Tyra Dark, Heather Orom, Willie Underwood Iii, Charkarra T. Anderson-Lewis, Jarrett Johnson, Deborah O. Erwin

Faculty Publications

The purposes of this study are to explore cancer information acquisition patterns among African-American men and to evaluate relationships between information acquisition patterns and prostate cancer prevention and control knowledge. A random sample of 268 men participated in a statewide interviewer-administered, telephone survey. Men classified as non-seekers, non-medical source seekers, and medical source seekers of prostate cancer information differed on household income, level of education, and beliefs about personal risk for developing prostate cancer. Results from multiple regression analysis indicated that age, education, and information-seeking status were associated with overall levels of prostate cancer knowledge. Results from logistic regression analyses …

Multiple Sclerosis Is Not A Disease Of The Immune System, Angelique Corthals

Publications and Research

Multiple sclerosis is a complex neurodegenerative disease, thought to arise through autoimmunity against antigens of the central nervous system. The autoimmunity hypothesis fails to explain why genetic and environmental risk factors linked to the disease in one population tend to be unimportant in other populations. Despite great advances in documenting the cell and molecular mechanisms underlying MS pathophysiology, the autoimmunity framework has also been unable to develop a comprehensive explanation of the etiology of the disease. I propose a new framework for understanding MS as a dysfunction of the metabolism of lipids. Specifically, the homeostasis of lipid metabolism collapses during …

The Tetrafluoroborate Salt Of 4-Methoxybenzyl N-2-(Dimethylamino)Ethyl-N-Nitrosocarbamate: Synthesis, Crystal Structure And Dft Calculations, Helene Hedian, Vladimir Benin

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The tetrafluoroborate salt of 4-methoxybenzyl N-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl-N-nitrosocarbamate was prepared in two steps, via the corresponding carbamate. Its crystal structure is monoclinic, space group P21/c. The unit cell dimensions are: a = 19.499(8) Å, b = 5.877(3) Å, c = 15.757(7) Å, α = 90°, β = 110.019(7)°, γ = 90°, V = 1696.5(12) Å3, Z = 4. The structure exhibits an unexpected, pseudo-gauche conformation with respect to the C2–C3 bond, due to a stabilizing hydrogen bond between the carbonyl oxygen (O1) and the hydrogen atom at the trialkylammonium center (H3n), with a distance between them of …

Understanding The Association Of Biomedical, Psychosocial And Behavioral Risks With Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes, Michele Kiely, Ayman El-Mohandes, Marie G. Gantz, Dhuly Chowdhury, Jutta S. Thornberry, M. Nabil El-Khorazaty

Publications and Research

Objectives: This study investigates the relationship between diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, and Body Mass Index (BMI) -- the most common and interrelated medical conditions occurring during pregnancy; sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors; and adverse pregnancy outcomes in high-risk urban African American women in Washington, DC.

Methods: Data are from a randomized controlled trial conducted in 6 prenatal clinics. Women in their 1^st or 2^nd trimester were screened for behavioral risks (smoking, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, depression, and intimate partner violence) and demographic eligibility. 1,044 were eligible, interviewed and followed through their pregnancies. Classification and Regression Trees (CART) methodology was …

Comparison Of Hip And Knee Strength And Neuromuscular Activity In Subjects With And Without Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Lori Ann Bolgla, Terry R. Malone, Brian R. Umberger, Timothy L. Uhl

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Purpose/Background: Historically, patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) has been viewed exclusively as a knee problem. Recent findings have suggested an association between hip muscle weakness and PFPS. Altered neuromuscular activity about the hip also may contribute to PFPS; however, more limited data exist regarding this aspect. Most prior investigations also have not concurrently examined hip and knee strength and neuromuscular activity in this patient population. Additional knowledge regarding the interaction between hip and knee muscle function may enhance the current understanding of PFPS. The purpose of this study was to compare hip and knee strength and electromyographic (EMG) …

The Effect Of Safety Climate, Teamwork, And Sustainable Motivation On Nurse Job Satisfaction And Intent To Stay, M'Lynda Owens

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Nursing is a hazardous occupation, and occupational safety in healthcare, particularly hospitals, is gaining attention. The Institute of Medicine (2003) ranked hospitals in the top five industries for occupational injuries and illness. This study explored the relationship between sustained motivation in nurses as depicted by their perceptions of workplace safety climate, teamwork climate, and autonomy and their job satisfaction and intent to stay at their current jobs. Sustained motivation was manifested as the ability of the nurses to consistently and persistently attend to routine activities such as actions to ensure safety. Over one-third (36%) of the variance in sustained motivation …

The Incidence Of Plexiform Lesion Formation In Lines Divergently Selected For Ascites, James Grant Mason

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Complex Vascular Lesions, (CVL) are a common vascular change associated with idiopathicpulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). CVL have been characterized in studies using animal models involving, but not limited to, Sprague-Dawley rats and poultry (Abe et al., 2010; Wideman et al., 2011).IPAH has been documented in poultry although no connection has been made with CVLs. The current study characterizes CVL in the lungs from broilers derived from lines divergently selected for 15 generations for ascites susceptibility under conditions of simulated high altitude. The ascites RES and SUS lines were sampled for CVL incidence over time. Both lines were reared in a …

Can Antioxidant-Rich Berries Improve Risk Factors Associated With Cardiovascular Disease In Postmenopausal Smokers?, Jordan Alaine Teeple

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of smoking on risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and determine the efficacy of antioxidant-rich berries in ameliorating these risk factors in postmenopausal smokers. Menopause and cigarette smoking have been identified as major risk factors for CVD due to a decrease in antioxidant protection, increase in inflammation and oxidative stress, and adverse changes in serum lipids. Antioxidants, specifically flavonoid compounds found in blackberries and blueberries, have been shown to prevent low-density lipoprotein cholesterol oxidation and thus prevent downstream inflammation and oxidative stress. Healthy, postmenopausal nonsmokers (n=14) and smokers (n=31) …

Hand Problems Among Endourologists., Kelly A Healy, Raymond W Pak, Ryan C Cleary, Arturo Colon-Herdman, Demetrius H Bagley

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Endourology has evolved rapidly for the management of both benign and malignant disease of the upper urinary tract. Limited data exist, however, on the occupational hazards posed by complex endourologic procedures. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and possible causes of hand problems among endourologists who routinely perform flexible ureteroscopy compared with controls.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online computer survey targeted members of the Endourological Society and psychiatrists in academic and community settings. A total of 600 endourologists and 578 psychiatrists were contacted by e-mail. Invited physicians were queried regarding their practice settings …

Urolithiasis Location And Size And The Association With Microhematuria And Stone-Related Symptoms., Costas D Lallas, Xiaolong S Liu, Allen N Chiura, Akhil K Das, Demetrius H Bagley

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To conduct a study to assess the association between calculus location and size and the incidence of both microhematuria and symptoms of urolithiasis in a urology office environment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: After Institutional Review Board approval, a prospective study was conducted with data from 100 consecutive patients who presented to our office with documented urolithiasis. The location (caliceal, pelvic, or ureteral) and size (

RESULTS: A total of 111 stones were found in the study population resulting in a 45.9% incidence of microhematuria. In patients with renal pelvic and ureteral stones, 67.6% demonstrated microhematuria vs 36.4% with caliceal stones, …

Clinical Trial Enrollment In A Multidisciplinary Prostate Cancer, Delora A. Domain

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Purpose: Clinical oncology trials are hampered by low accrual rates. Less than 5% of adult cancer patients are treated on a clinical trial. We aimed to evaluate clinical trial enrollment in our Multidisciplinary Prostate Cancer Clinic and to assess if a clinical trial initiative, introduced in 2006, increased our trial enrollment.
Methods: Prostate cancer patients with non-metastatic disease who were seen in the clinic from 2004 to 2008 were included in the analysis. Men were categorized by whether they were seen before or after the clinical trial enrollment initiative started in 2006. The initiative included posting trial details in the …

Genetic Influence On The Working Memory Circuitry: Behavior, Structure, Function And Extensions To Illness, Katherine H. Karlsgodt, Peter Bachman, Anderson M. Winkler, Carrie E. Bearden, David C. Glahn

School of Medicine Publications

Working memory is a highly heritable complex cognitive trait that is critical for a number of higher-level functions. However, the neural substrates of this behavioral phenotype are intricate and it is unknown through what precise biological mechanism variation in working memory is transmitted. In this review we explore different functional and structural components of the working memory circuitry, and the degree to which each of them is contributed to by genetic factors. Specifically, we consider dopaminergic function, glutamatergic function, white matter integrity and gray matter structure all of which provide potential mechanisms for the inheritance of working memory deficits. In …

Professionalism And Social Networking: Can Patients, Physicians, Nurses, And Supervisors All Be ‘Friends’?, Joy Peluchette, Katherine Karl, Alberto Coustasse, Philip Rutsohn, Dennis Emmett

Management Faculty Research

This study examines the use of Facebook by certified nurse anesthetist students. Our results showed that, contrary to expectations, most were neutral about faculty, physicians, and supervisors viewing their Facebook profiles but expressed concerns about patients seeing such information. Many (30%) of our respondents had observed unprofessional content posted on the social network sites of their classmates including: intoxication or substance abuse, profanity, sexually suggestive photos or comments, and negative work-related comments. A vast majority indicated they would accept a ‘friend’ request from their supervisor and a physician but not a patient. Surprisingly, about 40% had initiated a ‘friend’ request …

Widespread Regulation Of Mirna Biogenesis At The Dicer Step By The Cold-Inducible Rna-Binding Protein, Rbm3, Julie Pilotte, Esther E. Dupont-Versteegden, Peter W. Vanderklish

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in diverse cellular events through their effects on translation. Emerging data suggest that modulation of miRNA biogenesis at post-transcriptional steps by RNA-binding proteins is a key point of regulatory control over the expression of some miRNAs and the cellular processes they influence. However, the extent and conditions under which the miRNA pathway is amenable to regulation at posttranscriptional steps are poorly understood. Here we show that RBM3, a cold-inducible, developmentally regulated RNA-binding protein and putative protooncogene, is an essential regulator of miRNA biogenesis. Utilizing miRNA array, Northern blot, and PCR methods, we observed that over …

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness In People With Diabetes; Biomarkers And Nutritional Supplementation, Hani H. Al-Nakhli

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Exercise is important for controlling hemoglobin A1c, and maintaining proper glycemic control in people with diabetes. Exercise also increases the diabetics overall insulin sensitivity, and decreases their dependency on diabetes medication. However, people with diabetes are faced with metabolic and endothelial impairment, which could result in a prolonged sensation of muscle soreness following exercise. This would make it difficult for these people to sustain exercise regimes. Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a common problem in healthy individuals and in people who have diabetes. DOMS is a painful sensation experienced by individuals who have been recently inactive and then over-exercise. Yet, …

Mechanisms Of Brain Edema Formation In Mouse Models Of Intracerebral Hemorrhage, Qingyi Ma

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Perihematomal edema causes major neurologic deterioration following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), mainly resulting from the disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by multiple mediators, including inflammatory mediators and thrombin. The objective of our study was to investigate the mechanisms by which inflammation and thrombin respectively lead to the formation of brain edema following ICH. Our long-term goal is to develop new therapeutic strategies against ICH-induced brain edema by targeting: (1) VAP-1 mediated inflammatory response and (2) PDGFR-α orchestrated BBB impairment. Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) was previously shown to promote leukocyte adhesion and transmigration. Additionally, PDGFR-α was also found to play a …

Trauma Of The Sudden Death Of A Child: The Impact On Couple Relationship, Blessing Okoro Rellias

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A traumatic life event such as the death of a child can be very devastating and confusing for many couples and people tend to respond in different ways to such trauma due to different factors such as gender differences. Research studies have traditionally focused on the personal effects of trauma on individual family members, whereas less attention centered on the systemic outcomes and consequences that trauma has on family functioning especially from the couples' perspective. Previous research has indicated that parents who lost their children to sudden death are likely to have serious mental distress and some disruption in functioning. …

Role Of Vima In Cell Surface Biogenesis In Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Devon Osbourne Jr.

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Porphyromonas gingivalis is an important etiological agent of periodontal disease - a disease that affects an estimated 49,000,000 people in the United States of America. Periodontal disease includes gingivitis – inflammation of the gums, and periodontitis – destruction of the teeth and their supporting tissues. Porphyromonas gingivalis is associated with the chronic form of periodontal disease in addition to several systemic diseases.

The vimA gene of P. gingivalis has been previously shown to play a significant role in the biogenesis of gingipains (trypsin-like cysteine proteases). The vimA has also been demonstrated to play a role in hemolysis, hemagglutination, autoaggregation, posttranslational …

Chronic Hypoxia Induces Epigenetic Modifications In The Fetal Rat Heart, Andrew James Grant Patterson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. As a result of studies done by Barker and associates, our awareness of the significance of stress during gestation as a risk factor for heart diseases has expanded. We now know that events in utero can significantly alter gene expression patterns in heart tissue leading to increase susceptibility to ischemia reperfusion injury in adulthood. The focus of this project was to elucidate the role of chronic hypoxia in the programming of the cardio-protective gene, Protein Kinase C epsilon (PKCε) in fetal rat heart. We used an animal, organ base, and cell …

Mechanisms Of Erythropoietin-Induced Neuroprotection In: In-Vivo And In-Vitro Models Of Hypoxia Ischema, Rhonda Andrea Souvenir

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIBI) is a common cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Approximately 60 % of preterm babies and 2% of full term infants suffer from asphyxia. Asphyxia related death accounts for approximately 23% of neonatal mortality annually. Many therapeutic interventions show promise in the laboratory but fail in clinics. A thorough understanding of mechanisms by which promising therapeutic intervention confers its neuroprotection is necessary to promote smoother transitions from bench to the bedside. Erythropoietin (EPO), a hematopoietic growth factor that increases oxygen availability during hypoxia/ischemia is associated with cell survival and neuroprotection in: in vivo and in …

Allosteric Modulation Of Vla-4 With The Atypical Antipsychotic Thioridazine, Bart Williams

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

A recent primary drug screen by the University of New Mexico Center for Molecular Discovery uncovered a novel group of allosteric-modulators of VLA-4 integrins known as phenothiazines. Phenothiazine family compounds were initially discovered as organic dyes in the 1800's, the most well-known of which is methylene blue. Relatively soon thereafter phenothiazines were found to be useful clinically, a trend that has continued in the century since peaking as antipsychotics in the 1950's. Today, phenothiazines are still being pursued clinically as seen in a number of recent patents for phenothiazine use in autoimmune disorders. This study sought to further characterize the …

Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Transport In The Squid Giant Axon: Competition Between Cargo Motor Receptors, Jip-1, App-C, And Negative Charge, Pamela E. Seamster

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Transport of membrane-bound organelles is critical to neuronal cell function yet mechanisms hitching vesicles to transport machinery remain elusive. Here we test whether jun-kinase interacting protein (JIP-1), a peripheral membrane scaffolding protein that binds kinesin light chain, is sufficient to mediate cargo transport in axons and study its competition with amyloid precursor protein cytoplasmic domain (APP-) and negative charge, also known motor receptors. Fluorescent beads (100 nm diameter) exhibit sequence-specific fast anterograde transport (0.46μm/s instantaneous velocity) in the squid giant axon when conjugated to a 14- amino acid synthetic peptide derived from the carboxyl terminus of JIP-1. JIP-1- beads have …

Association Of Race And Ethnicity With Cognitive And Language Testing At 18-22 Months In Extremely Preterm Infants, Andrea Freeman Duncan

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship of race/ethnicity to cognitive and language scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development 3rd edition (BSID-III) in extremely preterm toddlers (< 28+0 weeks estimated gestational age). Study Design: Extremely preterm toddlers at NICHD Neonatal Research Network Centers evaluated at 18-22 months adjusted age from 3 race/ethnic groups (White, Black, and Hispanic-White) were included in this cohort study. Multivariable regression modeling was used to identify race/ethnic differences adjusting for medical and psychosocial factors. Results: Children included 369 Whites, 352 Blacks and 144 Hispanic-Whites. Cognitive scores differed between groups in unadjusted analysis (p=< 0.001), but not after adjusting for medical and psychosocial factors (p=0.13). Language scores differed in adjusted and unadjusted analyses. Whites scored higher than Blacks or Hispanic-Whites, and Blacks scored higher than Hispanic- Whites. Conclusions:A combination of medical variables and primary caretaker education accounted for differences in BSID-III cognitive scores between groups. Black and Hispanic-White toddlers had lower language scores than Whites, even after adjustment. Early intervention should be targeted to these identified risk factors. Assessment of early language development among minority groups may be warranted.

Building An Mft Outpatient Practice Through Contract Procurement: A Case Study, Anthony T. Alonzo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

[Abstract Not Included]

The Role Of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Axl In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma And Its Regulation By Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1, Xianzhou Song

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is one of the most aggressive malignancies with less than 5% of five year survival rate. New molecular markers and new therapeutic targets are urgently needed for patients with PDA. Oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinase Axl has been reported to be overexpressed in many types of human malignancies, including diffuse glioma, melanoma, osteosarcoma, and carcinomas of lung, colon, prostate, breast, ovary, esophagus, stomach, and kidney. However, the expression and functions of Axl in PDA are unclear. We hypothesized that Axl contributes to the development and progression of PDA. We examined Axl expression in 54 human PDA samples …

Prognostic Significance Of Xct Polymorphisms And Expression In Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Treated With Chemotherapy, Tzu-Chuan Jane Huang Md

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The plasma membrane x_c^- cystine/glutamate transporter mediates cellular uptake of cystine in exchange for intracellular glutamate and is highly expressed by pancreatic cancer cells. The xCT gene, encoding the cystine-specific xCT protein subunit of x_c^-, is important in regulating intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels, critical for cancer cell protection against oxidative stress, tumor growth and resistance to chemotherapeutic agents including platinum. We examined 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the xCT gene in 269 advanced pancreatic cancer patients who received first line gemcitabine with or without cisplatin or oxaliplatin. Genotyping was performed using Taqman real-time PCR …

Guinea Pigging In Philadelphia, Roberto Abadie

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

On June 16, 2001, the national press first reported the death of Ellen Roche, a healthy 24-year-old who volunteered for an asthma study at Johns Hopkins University. The story revealed that a few days into the trial she felt very sick, was discharged, and sent home. Within some hours she checked into the emergency room at a local hospital and fell into a coma. Ellen remained in this state until her death a month later. She had received $375 for participating in seven to nine sessions as an outpatient in the clinical drug study that resulted in her death.

This …

Prevalence And Risk Of Polypharmacy Among The Elderly In An Outpatient Setting: A Retrospective Cohort Study In The Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy, S. Lane Slabaugh, Vittorio Maio, Megan Templin, Safiya Abouzaid

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Background: Polypharmacy, the simultaneous taking of many medications, has been well documented and is a topic of much concern for those looking to improve the quality of care for the elderly. Elderly patients often develop complicated and multi-factorial health states that require extensive pharmacotherapy, leaving this population at risk for exposure to drug-drug interactions and other adverse events. Previous literature supports an association between an increase in the rate of adverse events as the number of drugs taken by a patient increases.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the prevalence of polypharmacy, and to determine patient characteristics that are predictive of …

Current And Future Directions In Frailty Research., Anita Mohandas, Joanne Reifsnyder, Mimi Jacobs, Tim Fox

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

The concept of frailty has been evolving dramatically for the past 30 years. Through its evolution, a variety of single and multidimensional models have been used to describe frailty. This article reviews the current literature related to the defining dimensions of frailty and identifies the gaps in the literature requiring additional research. A detailed literature review was performed to identify key dimensions and models currently being used to define frailty, classify interventions that have been developed to reverse frailty, and identify potential areas for future research within this field. Despite the large body of research defining the dimensions of frailty, …

Proposals For A Scheme For Continuing Professional Development In Pakistan, Rashid Jooma

Section of Neurosurgery

No abstract provided.