Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Good, The Bad, And The Rare: Memory For Partners In Social Interactions, Jenny Volstorf, Jörg Rieskamp, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

For cooperation to evolve via direct reciprocity, individuals must track their partners’ behavior to avoid exploitation. With increasing size of the interaction group, however, memory becomes error prone. To decrease memory effort, people could categorize partners into types, distinguishing cooperators and cheaters. We explored two ways in which people might preferentially track one partner type: remember cheaters or remember the rare type in the population. We assigned participants to one of three interaction groups which differed in the proportion of computer partners’ types (defectors rare, equal proportion, or cooperators rare). We extended research on both hypotheses in two ways. First, …

The Importance Of Metrics And Communication In Cafeteria School Policy, Andre Sanchez, Atreya Chakraborty

Interdisciplinary Perspectives: a Graduate Student Research Showcase

Obesity has become an epidemic amongst American youth in the 21st century, and is spreading not only into other developed nations such as the UK and Australia, but is also beginning to effect developing nations such as India (Bhardwaj, 2008). It is estimated that nationwide, childhood obesity affects around 17% of American children (Center For Disease Control, 2011). Obesity has been linked to many health disorders, including but not limited to, heart disease and diabetes. Subsequently, this rise in childhood obesity is having a severe impact on the healthcare services sector in America, with some studies suggesting childhood obesity in …

Tumor Recognition And Self-Recognition Induce Distinct Transcriptional Profiles In Antigen-Specific Cd4 T Cells, Adam J. Adler

UCHC Articles - Research

Tumors express a wide variety of both mutated and nonmutated Ags. Whether these tumor Ags are broadly recognized as self or foreign by the immune system is currently unclear. Using an autochthonous prostate cancer model in which hemagglutinin (HA) is specifically expressed in the tumor (ProHA × TRAMP mice), as well as an analogous model wherein HA is expressed in normal tissues as a model self-Ag (C3HA^high), we examined the transcriptional profile of CD4 T cells undergoing Ag-specific division. Consistent with our previous data, transfer of Ag-specific CD4 T cells into C3HA^high resulted in a functionally inactivated …

Pediatric Traumatic Putamenal Strokes: Mechanisms And Prognosis, Zain A. Sobani, Arshad Ali

Section of Neurosurgery

Background: Studies have shown that nearly 3% of closed head injuries result in basal ganglia hemorrhages and that this may be a more frequent occurrence in pediatric patients. Various mechanisms based on shearing forces have been implicated in the injury; however, the underlying mechanism leading to the increased incidence in pediatric patients has not been well described. Angiographic data suggest that putamenal perforators in children are more severely stretched at acute angles compared to those in adults, which may be a contributing factor to the increased incidence.
Case description: We discuss a series of five relatively benign cases of traumatic …

Distinct T Cell Clones Are Associated With Graft-Versus-Host Disease (Gvhd), And Potentially Graft-Versus-Tumor (Gvt), Responses Following Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation, Jennifer Berrie

Theses and Dissertations

In patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with HLA-identical donors, genetic polymorphisms result in a mismatch between donors and recipients in their minor histocompatibility antigens (mHAgs), and tumors may also express tumor-associated antigens (TAA) that may not be abundantly present in the donors. Donor T cells can recognize such mHAgs and TAAs as foreign antigens and generate an objective response against hematologic malignancies in a graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effect. However, a major side effect of HSCT occurs when donor T cells are alloreactive against the recipients’ normal cells, leading to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The ability to identify T cell clones …

Curated Exhibit Roadside Crosses And Memorials: Photo Essay By Gerald Moore, Laura J. Hall

Posters and Presentations

The Roadside Crosses and Memorials exhibit, curated by Laura J. Hall, MFA, featured a poignant photo essay by New Mexico artist Gerald Moore. The exhibit captured the memorials placed alongside highways and roads in remembrance of those who lost their lives in vehicular accidents. These "descansos," as they are called in New Mexico, represent the places where individuals were last alive, offering a powerful reflection on life, loss, and remembrance. Through photography, Moore documented the varied forms of these memorials, from simple wooden crosses to intricate handmade tributes, capturing both their artistic expression and their deep emotional resonance. April 28, …

Sulfatide Is Required For Organization Of The Paranode In The Myelinated Axon In The Peripheral Nervous System, Eva Kwong

Theses and Dissertations

Myelin facilitates the timely, efficient conduction of action potentials along axons. Made by Schwann cells (SCs) in the PNS, myelin is unique in that it is composed of a high percentage of lipids, particularly galactolipids. Sulfatide, one such galactolipid, is made by cerebroside sulfotransferase (CST) and has been shown to play a role in organizing paranodal domains in myelinated axons. However less is known regarding the involvement of sulfatide in the establishment and maintenance of the node, of particular interest as it is responsible for the potentiation of action potentials along the axon. Using immunohistochemical and, to a lesser extent, …

Telemedicine And Advanced Technology Research Center: Quarterly Report, January 18, 2010 To April 17, 2011, Bea Babbitt

Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center

Development of a P.O.I. and a Blended Learning Ecology for use in Combat Lifesaver Skills Training for the Army.

Treatment Of Complex Fistula In Ano With Cable-Tie Seton: A Prospective Case Series., Ayaz Ahmad Memon, Ghulam Murtaza, Rizwan Azami, Hasnain Zafar, Tabish Chawla, Altaf Ali Laghari

Department of Surgery Docs

Objective:To determine the fecal incontinence and recurrence rate in Patients with complex fistula in ano managed with cable tie seton at a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Methods:

This is a prospective case series of Patients with complex anal fistula i.e. recurrent fistula or encircling >30% of external anal sphincter, managed with cable tie seton from March 2003 to March 2009. Patients were seen in the clinic after 72 hours of seton insertion under anesthesia and then every other week. Each time the cable-tie was tightened if found loose without anesthesia and incontinence was inquired according to wexner's score.

Results: …

Comparing Inter-Examiner Reliability Levels When Diagnosing Male & Female Innominate Dysfunctions Using A Hemi-Pelvise Compression Lateralization Test And Pelvic Landmark Levels., Nicole E. Myers, Michael L. Kuchera Do, Faao, Veronica Ferencz Mba, Jeffrey A. Nelson, Frank Casella Ms

Research Day

BACKGROUND: When diagnosing innominate somatic dysfunctions it may be relevant to recognize that structural, functional, and hormonal differences exist between male and female pelvises. The female pelvis is less massive, ilia are less sloped, and female hormones influence ligamentous tension. Despite these differences, few studies have analyzed gender effects on inter-examiner reliability when using palpatory diagnosis to diagnose innominate dysfunctions. In this study, we hypothesized that interexaminer reliability would be higher in male subjects than in female subjects due cyclic variability of hormonal influence of ligamentous tension in the female pelvis. The kappa (κ) statistic was selected to evaluate …

The Use Of Objective Data To Improve Interexaminer Reliability, Veronica Ferencz Mba, Frank Casella Ms, Jeffrey A. Nelson, Nicole E. Myers, Michael L. Kuchera Do, Faao

Research Day

BACKGROUND: In Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) and Manual/Musculoskeletal Medicine (MMM), palpatory diagnosis is performed on a regular basis to diagnose somatic dysfunction (SD). This examination requires careful and precise touch coupled with subjective interpretation by individual examiners who may have been trained to evaluate SD through different methods. Interexaminer reliability studies aim to minimize variance by providing quantifiable scientific data to evaluate specific test protocols which can then be taught to practitioners. In a previous PCOM study, two examiners independently diagnosed innominate bone dysfunction lateralized using the ASIS compression test on a large group of subjects. A pressure monitoring system …

Effect Of Prior Anterior Superior Iliac Spine Compression Testing On Second Assessor Findings: Implications For Inter-Examiner Reliability Testing, Frank Casella Ms, Michael L. Kuchera Do, Faao, Jeffrey A. Nelson, Veronica Ferencz Mba, Nicole E. Myers

Research Day

BACKGROUND: Osteopathic physicians use palpation to diagnose sacroiliac joint somatic dysfunction (SD) -- including the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine (ASIS) Compression Test for dysfunctional side lateralization. (Literature suggests right-sided lateralization in 80% of asymptomatic individuals). Accurate, reliable tests are crucial however to diagnose SD and kappa (κ) analysis is a gold-standard to determine the degree of interexaminer reliability for tests. Few studies have examined the effect the palpatory examination has on subsequent diagnostic findings and therefore on κ-values.

Inter-Examiner Reliability Of An Anterior Superior Iliac Spine Compression Test Used To Lateralize Pelvic Somatic Dysfunction To The Right Side Or Not, Frank Casella Ms, Michael L. Kuchera Do, Faao, Nicole E. Myers, Jeffrey A. Nelson, Veronica Ferencz Mba

Research Day

BACKGROUND: Osteopathic physicians use a number of palpatory structural examinations to diagnose pelvic somatic dysfunction (SD). They may elect to use the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine (ASIS) Compression Test to lateralize the dysfunctional side. Accurate, reliable tests are crucial to neuromusculoskeletal diagnosis and this study employs the kappa (κ) analysis protocol recommended for assessing interexaminer reliability of manual medicine tests (published by the Fédération Internationale de Médecine Manuelle [FIMM]). κ-values ≥0.40 (moderate agreement) are considered to be acceptable for use in the clinical setting.

Prescriptions For Excellence In Health Care Spring 2011 Download Pdf

Prescriptions for Excellence in Health Care Newsletter Supplement

No abstract provided.

Student-Faculty Research In Organic Chemistry, Timo V. Ovaska

Honors and Awards Speeches and Programs

Timo Ovaska remarks that the clothes we wear, the colors we see, the foods we eat, the fuels that power our cars, the medicines that make us heal and feel better, even the biochemical reactions that happen in our bodies are all manifestations of the importance of organic chemistry in daily life.

He also praises his students who chose to do research, as there is no mandatory research component for the chemistry major at Connecticut College, who have gone on to successful careers. Students chose to get involved not because it was going to be easy, but because they were …

Role Of Two-Component System Response Regulators In Virulence Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae Tigr4 In Infective Endocarditis, My Trinh

Theses and Dissertations

Streptococci resident in the oral cavity have been linked to infective endocarditis (IE). While viridans streptococci are commonly studied and associated with IE, less research has been focused on Streptococcus pneumoniae. Two-component systems (TCSs), consisting of a histidine kinase (HK) protein and response regulator (RR) protein, are bacterial signaling systems that may mediate S. pneumoniae TIGR4 strain virulence in IE. To test this hypothesis, TCS RR mutants of TIGR4 were examined in vivo through use of rabbit models. There were 14 RR proteins identified and 13 RR mutants synthesized because SP_1227 was found to be essential. The requirement of the …

Trends In Dental Care For Individuals With Ectodermal Dysplasia, Justin Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The specific aim of this study is to evaluate the trends in dental health care for individuals with ectodermal dysplasia. Methods: This was a cross sectional analysis of subjects recruited through the National Foundation of Ectodermal Dysplasia (NFED). From 1997 to 2000, individuals with ectodermal dysplasia or their caregiver (if the individuals were too young to selfreport) voluntarily completed questionnaires. The questionnaire consisted of 37 items consisting of demographics, ectodermal dysplasia diagnosis, access to dental care, level of dental utilization, and type of dental services received. Descriptive statistics were used in addition to ANOVA analyses to evaluate the changing …

Maternal Influences On The Development Of Infant Oral Biofilm, James Dibelka

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose was to examine the maternal influences on the development of infant oral biofim and dominant bacterial strains of at risk populations. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design to examine factors influencing biofilm colonization and the identification of bacterial strains transmitted from mother to child. Participants were enrolled in Children’s Health Involving Parents of Greater Richmond (CHIP). Plaque and saliva samples were collected from mothers and their children ages 6-36 months. The colonized oral bacteria strains of the mother infant dyads were then compared. Oral bacterial strain identification was completed using the HOMIM Forsythe microbe identification array. …

Today - April 27, 2011, Loma Linda University

TODAY

Inside this issue:

-- LLU School of Medicine Center for Perinatal Biology makes history
-- School of Pharmacy students handcraft blankets for HIV patients
-- Dentistry faculty research published
-- Donors remember friends taken in tragic plane crash
-- Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta opens April 15 after receiving license from state health department
-- Respiratory therapy students take part in regional academic competition
-- LLUC vespers provides quality programs
-- Documentary on Haiti provides life-changing experience for young people
-- Joshua Tree National Park: antidote for the winter 'blahs'
-- Safety coordinators' banquet honors those who kept us safe …

The Role Of The Propeptide And Its Residues In Activation And Secretion Of Elastase, An M4 Metalloprotease Secreted By Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Emily Boice

Theses and Dissertations

Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretes several proteases associated with pathogenesis, but the most abundant and active is elastase (M4 metalloendopeptidase). Elastase (lasB), is first synthesized as a preproenzyme, with a signal peptide, an 18-kDa N-terminal propeptide, and a 33-kDa mature domain. The propeptide functions as an intramolecular chaperone that is required for the folding and secretion of elastase, but ultimately is proteolytically removed and degraded. Previous research has identified the conserved residues in the propeptide of elastase as compared to other M4 protease precursors and showed some among them to be important for the production of active elastase. In this project, the …

Targeting The Endocannabinoid System To Reduce Nociception, Lamont Booker

Theses and Dissertations

Pain of various etiologies (e.g., visceral, inflammatory) can be a debilitating disorder that presents a problem of clinical relevance. While it is known that ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) the primary psychoactive constituent found in marijuana produces analgesia in various rodent models of pain, its pharmacological properties are overshadowed by its psychomimetic effects. THC is the primary phytocannabinoid found in marijuana though other prevalent constituents such as the phytocannabinoids (e.g., cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabichromene (CBC), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV)) may possess antinociceptive actions without the psychomimetic effects associated with THC. Indeed, these phytocannabinoids act upon the endocannabinoid system (ECS) that is comprised of the …

Electrophysiological Characterization Of Enteric Neurons Isolated From The Immortomouse, Edward G. Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations

The availability of murine genetic models is extremely advantageous to studying gastrointestinal function, but the benefits afforded by studying enteric neurons in mice has been hindered by their accessibility. Fetal (E13) and 2 day post-natal (P2) enteric neuron cell lines (IM-FEN and IM-PEN, respectively) were recently developed from the H-2Kb-tsA58 immortomouse. Our goal was to identify the electrophysiological properties of these cell lines and clarify their utility as a model of enteric neurons. IM-PEN cells stained positively for the neuron specific markers βIII-tubulin and PGP9.5 and were negative for the glial cell marker S100. Detection of mRNA for TRPA1, TRPV1, …

2011 - The Sixteenth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Sixteenth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 26, 2011. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Phillips, Clem Benjamin, 1894-1970 (Mss 365), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 365.  Letters of Clem Benjamin Phillips of St. Peters, Missouri, written during his World War I military training in Kansas and New Jersey and while serving in France.  Includes correspondence of other Phillips family members and relatives.

Chelating Compounds And Immobilized Tethered Chelators, Robert A. Yokel, Wesley R. Harris, Christopher D. Spilling, Chang-Guo Zhan

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

Novel di- and tripodal compounds useful as chelators, intermediates for their production and a method for treating an aqueous solution to remove trivalent metal ions are presented.

Involvement Of P53 In The S-Phase Checkpoint During Nucleotide Deficiencies, Cortney Heyer

Theses and Dissertations

Several classes of antimetabolites have been developed for the treatment of cancer, including numerous inhibitors of nucleotide biosynthesis. N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate (PALA) and hydroxyurea (HU) are two antimetabolites that inhibit nucleotide biosynthesis; PALA inhibits de novo pyrimidine synthesis and HU inhibits the conversion of ribonucleotide diphosphates to deoxyribonucleotide diphosphates. Due to the similar mechanisms, it was thought that cancer cells would respond similarly to HU and PALA treatment. However, studies in this dissertation revealed strikingly different responses to either HU or PALA treatment in HCT116 cells. A cytoprotective S-phase arrest was activated upon HU treatment while PALA treatment failed to activate the …

Incidence And Prevention Of Injury Of The Anterior Cruciate Ligament In Females, Arielle E. Gillie

Senior Honors Theses

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, women are two to eight times more likely to sustain an anterior cruciate ligament injury than men at the same level of performance. This high incidence of women with an ACL injury is thought to be due to a number of gender differences. This study examines the research that has been conducted to determine the reason for the disproportionate incidence of anterior cruciate ligament in female population. The study encompasses anatomical structure of the knee joint, structural differences in the male and female knee, hormonal influences, biomechanical influences, neuromuscular influences, and strategies …

Early Toxicity Predicts Long-Term Survival In High-Grade Glioma., Y. R. Lawrence, M Wang, Adam Dicker, David W Andrews, Walter J Curran, J M Michalski, L Souhami, W-Ka Yung, M Mehta

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Patients with high-grade gliomas are treated with surgery followed by chemoradiation. The risk factors and implications of neurological side effects are not known.

METHODS: Acute and late ≥ grade 3 neurological toxicities (NTs) were analysed among 2761 patients from 14 RTOG trials accrued from 1983 to 2003. The association between acute and late toxicity was analysed using a stepwise logistic regression model. The association between the occurrence of acute NT and survival was analysed as an independent variable.

RESULTS: There were 2610 analysable patients (86% glioblastoma, 10% anaplastic astrocytoma). All received a systemic agent during radiation (83% chemotherapy, 17% …

Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, And Adenitis (Pfapa) Is A Disorder Of Innate Immunity And Th1 Activation Responsive To Il-1 Blockade., Silvia Stojanov, Sivia Lapidus, Puja Chitkara, Henry Feder, Juan C Salazar, Thomas A Fleisher, Margaret R Brown, Kathryn M Edwards, Michael M Ward, Robert A Colbert, Hong-Wei Sun, Geryl M Wood, Beverly K Barham, Anne Jones, Ivona Aksentijevich, Raphaela Goldbach-Mansky, Balu Athreya, Karyl S Barron, Daniel L Kastner

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

The syndrome of periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis (PFAPA) is the most common periodic fever disease in children. However, the pathogenesis is unknown. Using a systems biology approach we analyzed blood samples from PFAPA patients whose genetic testing excluded hereditary periodic fevers (HPFs), and from healthy children and pediatric HPF patients. Gene expression profiling could clearly distinguish PFAPA flares from asymptomatic intervals, HPF flares, and healthy controls. During PFAPA attacks, complement (C1QB, C2, SERPING1), IL-1-related (IL-1B, IL-1RN, CASP1, IL18RAP), and IFN-induced (AIM2, IP-10/CXCL10) genes were significantly overexpressed, but T cell-associated transcripts (CD3, CD8B) were down-regulated. On the …

Muc4 Stabilizes Her2 Expression And Maintains The Cancer Stem Cell Population In Ovarian Cancer Cells., Moorthy P. Ponnusamy, Parthasarathy Seshacharyulu, Arokia P. Vaz, Parama Dey, Surinder K. Batra

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence has suggested that the capability of cancer to grow, propagate and relapse after therapy is dependent on a small subset of the cell population within the tumor, called cancer stem cells. Therefore, this subpopulation of cells needs to be targeted with different approaches by identification of unique stem-cell specific target antigens. One of the well known tumor antigens is the epithelial cell mucin MUC4, which is aberrantly expressed in ovarian cancer as compared to the normal ovary and plays a pivotal role in the aggressiveness and metastasis of ovarian cancer cells. In the present study, we aimed …