Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

In Translation V.2:No.3 (2012:Spring), Matthew J. Cook

UCHC Articles - Research

In This Issue

CICATS Spring Update

Why CICATS is Important to Dr. Andemariam…

CICATS Welcomes New Staff

Partners Collaborate in Clinical Trial

Ykl-40 Genetic Polymorphisms And The Risk Of Liver Disease Progression In Patients With Advanced Fibrosis Due To Chronic Hepatitis C, Herbert L. Bonkovsky

UCHC Articles - Research

Abstract

Background/Aims

The aim of this study was to explore the association of a functional YKL-40 promoter polymorphism (rs4950928) with baseline disease stage, response to antiviral therapy, and risk of liver disease progression in a group of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

Methods

YKL-40 promoter polymorphisms were determined in 456 HALT-C Trial patients with bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis entering a prerandomization lead-in peginterferon/ribavirin 24-week treatment phase and in 462 patients followed for a mean of 3.8 years after randomization to maintenance peginterferon or observation.

RESULTS

Mean patient age was 49.5 years, 70.4% were male, and 71.2% were Caucasian. The …

Pharmacological And Therapeutic Effects Of A3 Adenosine Receptor (A3ar) Agonists, Bruce T. Liang

UCHC Articles - Research

The G_i-coupled A₃ adenosine receptor (A₃AR) mediates anti-inflammatory, anticancer and anti-ischemic protective effects. The receptor is overexpressed in inflammatory and cancer cells, while low expression is found in normal cells, rendering the A₃AR as a potential therapeutic target. Highly selective A₃AR agonists have been synthesized and molecular recognition in the binding site has been characterized. The present review summarizes preclinical and clinical human studies demonstrating that A₃AR agonists induce specific anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects via a molecular mechanism that entails modulation of the Wnt and the NF-κB signal transduction …

Bevacizumab And Breast Cancer: What Does The Future Hold?, Christina E. Stevenson

UCHC Articles - Research

Breast cancer is a major health concern for many women, but despite the current standard therapies, many women still die of metastatic disease. Angiogenesis has been evaluated as a possible target for therapy and bevacizumab (Avastin^®, Genentech/Roche, CA, USA), a monoclonal antibody against VEGF-A, has been developed to target this. Current clinical trials utilizing bevacizumab have shown an increase in progression-free survival, but this has not translated to an increase in overall survival in breast cancer patients. In this article, we summarize the currently published trials utilizing bevacizumab in the treatment of breast cancer and describe various methods …

Predictors Of Weight Loss Success: Exercise Vs. Dietary Self-Efficacy And Treatment Attendance, Shannon Byrne, Danielle Barry, Nancy M. Petry

UCHC Articles - Research

Pre-treatment diet and exercise self-efficacies can predict weight loss success. Changes in diet self-efficacy across treatment appear to be even stronger predictors than baseline levels, but research on changes in exercise self-efficacy is lacking. Using data from a pilot study evaluating tangible reinforcement for weight loss (N = 30), we examined the impact of changes in diet and exercise self-efficacy on outcomes. Multiple regression analyses indicated that treatment attendance and changes in exercise self-efficacy during treatment were the strongest predictors of weight loss. Developing weight loss programs that foster the development of exercise self-efficacy may enhance participants’ success.

Is It The Exception Or The Rule? Daily Co-Occurrence Of Physical, Sexual, And Psychological Partner Violence In A 90-Day Study Of Substance-Using, Community Women, Howard A. Tennen

UCHC Articles - Research

Abstract

Objective

This study aims to describe the daily co-occurrence of physical, sexual, and psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) among substance-using, community-based women currently experiencing IPV.

Methods

A micro-longitudinal study design was used to collect data daily from 49 women for 90 days.

Results

On the majority of days (62%), no IPV occurred; 27% of days were characterized by psychological IPV alone, followed by the co-occurrence of psychological and physical IPV (6% of IPV days). Results of person-level analyses showed comparable sized correlations between the proportion of days with physical and sexual IPV and the proportion of days with physical …

Multivitamin Therapy For Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis, Rajesh V. Lalla, Linda E. Choquette, Richard S. Feinn, Harriet Zawistowski, Marie C. Latortue, Edward T. Kelly

UCHC Articles - Research

Background

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a painful condition of unknown etiology, affecting more than 2.5 billion people worldwide. Vitamin deficiencies have been implicated as a possible cause.

Methods

The authors conducted a single-center, randomized, parallel-arm, double-masked, placebo-controlled study to examine the effect of daily multivitamin supplementation on the number and duration of RAS episodes. The authors randomly assigned 160 adults who had a validated history of at least three episodes of idiopathic minor RAS within the previous 12 months to one of two groups: the first group (n = 83) received a once-daily multivitamin containing 100 percent of the …

Mid-Atlantic Ethics Committee Newsletter, Spring 2012

Mid-Atlantic Ethics Committee Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Medicine + Health, Spring 2012, George Washington University, School Of Medicine And Health Sciences, Office Of Communications And Marketing

Medicine + Health Magazine

No abstract provided.

Com Outlook Spring 2012, College Of Osteopathic Medicine

COM Outlook

No abstract provided.

The Presence Of Alpha Interferon At The Time Of Infection Alters The Innate And Adaptive Immune Responses To Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus, Susan L. Brockman, Crystal A. Loving, Eric A. Nelson, Laura C. Miller, Tracy L. Nicholson, Karen B. Register, Marvin J. Grubman, Douglas E. Brough, Marcus E. Kehrli Jr

Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most devastating and costly diseases to the swine industry worldwide. Overall, the adaptive immune response to PRRS virus (PRRSV) is weak, which results in delayed elimination of virus from the host and inferior vaccine protection. PRRSV has been shown to induce a meager alpha interferon (IFN-α) response, and we hypothesized that elevated IFN-α levels early in infection would shorten the induction time and increase elements of the adaptive immune response. To test this, we measured both antibody and cell-mediated immunity in pigs after the administration of a nonreplicating human adenovirus …

Association Between Workplace And Housing Conditions And Use Of Pesticide Safety Practices And Personal Protective Equipment Among North Carolina Farmworkers In 2010, Donna L. Levesque, Ahmed A. Arif, Ji Shen

School of Health Sciences Publications

Background: There are inconsistencies about the effects of farmworker housing and workplace conditions and use of self-protective behavior practices and personal protective equipment (PPE). Objective: To investigate the association between workplace and housing conditions and farmworker use of pesticide safety practices and PPE. Methods: This study was conducted in 4 counties in North Carolina, USA, from July to October, 2010, during the agricultural growing season. Farmworkers working in agriculture aged 18 to 62 (n=187) were administered a structured questionnaire to collect self-reported measures on housing and workplace conditions. Use of pesticide safety and PPE were examined by asking questions about …

Onset Of Alcohol Or Substance Use Disorders Following Treatment For Adolescent Depression., John Curry, Susan Silva, Paul Rohde, Golda Ginsburg, Betsy Kennard, Christopher Kratochvil, Anne Simons, Jerry Kirchner, Diane May, Taryn Mayes, Norah Feeny, Anne Marie Albano, Sarah Lavanier, Mark Reinecke, Rachel Jacobs, Emily Becker-Weidman, Elizabeth Weller, Graham Emslie, John Walkup, Elizabeth Kastelic, Barbara Burns, Karen Wells, John March

Journal Articles: Psychiatry

OBJECTIVE: This study tested whether positive response to short-term treatment for adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) would have the secondary benefit of preventing subsequent alcohol use disorders (AUD) or substance use disorders (SUD).

METHOD: For 5 years, we followed 192 adolescents (56.2% female; 20.8% minority) who had participated in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS; TADS Team, 2004) and who had no prior diagnoses of AUD or SUD. TADS initial treatments were cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), fluoxetine alone (FLX), the combination of CBT and FLX (COMB), or clinical management with pill placebo (PBO). We used both the original …

Letter From The Editor, Kelly S. Moor

Administrative Issues Journal

No abstract provided.

Underpaid Or Overpaid? Wage Analyses For Nurses Using Jobs Versus Worker Attributes, Barry T. Hirsch, Edward J. Schumacher

Health Care Administration Faculty Research

Nursing shortages are common despite the fact that nurses earn far higher wages than other college-educated women. Our analysis addresses the puzzle of "high" nursing wages. Employee data from the Current Population Survey are matched with detailed job descriptors from the Occupational Information Network. Nursing requires high levels of compensable skills and demanding working conditions. Standard log wage regression estimates indicate nursing wage advantages of about 40%. Accounting for job attributes reduces estimates to roughly 20%. Rather than transforming ordinary least squares log gaps to percentages, alternative methods measuring Mincerian gaps produce estimates of 15% or less. We conclude that …

Mussel Inspired Protein-Mediated Surface Modification To Electrospun Fibers And Their Potential Biomedical Applications, Jingwei Xie, Praveesuda Lorwattanapongsa Michael, Shaoping Zhong, Bing Ma, Matthew R. Macewan, Chwee Teck Lim

MIIR Faculty Research

Mussel inspired proteins have been demonstrated to serve as a versatile biologic adhesive with numerous applications. The present study illustrates the use of such Mussel inspired proteins (polydopamine) in the fabrication of functionalized bio-inspired nanomaterials capable of both improving cell response and sustained delivery of model probes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed the ability of dopamine to polymerize on the surface of plasma-treated, electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fiber mats to form polydopamine coating. Transmission electron microscopy images demonstrated that self-polymerization of dopamine was induced by pH shift and that the thickness of polydopamine coating was readily modulated by adjusting the concentration …

Regulation Of Iron-Related Molecules In The Rat Hippocampus: Sex- And Age-Associated Differences, Srinivasarao Thulluri, Miaozong Wu, Eric R. Blough, Nandini D.P.K. Manne, Ashley B. Litchfield, Bin Wang

MIIR Faculty Research

Iron accumulation, especially that of free oxidized ferrous iron, has been shown to induce tissue oxidative damage and contribute to brain aging and the development of neurodegenerative disease. Here we examine whether sex and advanced age affect the expression of iron-related molecules that participate in regulating free iron levels (heme oxygenase I (HOI), iron-regulatory protein I (IRPI), and ferritin heavy chain (FTH)) and whether changes in the expression of these molecules are associated with differences in the expression of alpha-synuclein (ASN) which is thought to be a critical regulator in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration. Using a well-established aging animal model, …

Chronic Paracetamol Treatment Influences Indices Of Reactive Oxygen Species Accumulation In The Aging Fischer 344 X Brown Norway Rat Aorta, Kevin M. Rice, Sarath Meduru, Sunil K. Kakarla, Anjaiah Katta, Sriram P. Mupparaju, Brent Kidd, Lynne J. Goebel, Eric R. Blough

MIIR Faculty Research

Previous reports have demonstrated that increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alterations in cell signaling characterize aging in the Fischer 344 X Brown Norway (FBN) rat aorta. Other work has suggested that increases in ROS may be related to vascular wall thickening and the development of hypertension. Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is a potent antioxidant that has been found to diminish free radicals in ischemia-reperfusion studies. However, it remains unclear whether chronic paracetamol administration influences signaling or ROS accumulation in the aging aorta. FBN rats (27 months old; n=8) were subjected to 6 months of treatment with a therapeutic dose …

Genetic Manipulation Of Schistosomes - Progress With Integration Competent Vectors, Sutas Suttiprapa, Gabriel Rinaldi, Paul J. Brindley

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Draft genome sequences for Schistosoma japonicum and S. mansoni are now available. The schistosome genome encodes ∼13 000 protein-encoding genes for which the functions of few are well understood. Nonetheless, the new genes represent potential intervention targets, and molecular tools are being developed to determine their importance. Over the past 15 years, noteworthy progress has been achieved towards development of tools for gene manipulation and transgenesis of schistosomes. A brief history of genetic manipulation is presented, along with a review of the field with emphasis on reports of integration of transgenes into schistosome chromosomes.

Five-Year Longitudinal Assessment Of The Downstream Impact On Schistosomiasis Transmission Following Closure Of The Three Gorges Dam., Darren J. Gray, Aaron P. Thrift, Gail M. Williams, Feng Zheng, Yue-Sheng Li, Jiagang Guo, Honggen Chen, Tianping Wang, Xin J. Xu, Rong Zhu, Hongqing Zhu, Chun Li Cao, Dan D. Lin, Zhen Y. Zhao, Robert S. Li, George M. Davis, Donald P. Mcmanus

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Schistosoma japonicum is a major public health concern in the Peoples' Republic of China (PRC), with about 800,000 people infected and another 50 million living in areas at risk of infection. Based on ecological, environmental, population genetic and molecular factors, schistosomiasis transmission in PRC can be categorised into four discrete ecosystems or transmission modes. It is predicted that, long-term, the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) will impact upon the transmission of schistosomiasis in the PRC, with varying degree across the four transmission modes.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We undertook longitudinal surveillance from 2002 to 2006 in sentinel villages of the three transmission …

Health Information Privacy In The Correctional Environment, Melissa M. Goldstein

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Information technology is considered a transformative element in health care because it facilitates the transparency and sharing of health information, which have always been central to the practice of medicine and the delivery of high-quality care. The widespread use of electronic health records (EHRs) and electronic health information exchange, among other technologies, is considered essential to improving the quality of care, reducing medical errors, reducing health disparities, and advancing the delivery of patient-centered medical care.

Environmental Exposure To Polychlorinated Biphenyls And P,P'-Dde And Sperm Sex-Chromosome Disomy, Megan E. Mcauliffe, Paige L. Williams, Susan A. Korrick, Larisa M. Altshul, Melissa J. Perry

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background: Chromosomal abnormalities contribute substantially to reproductive problems, but the role of environmental risk factors has received little attention.

Objectives: We evaluated the association of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p´-DDE) exposures with sperm sex-chromosome disomy.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 192 men from subfertile couples. We used multiprobe fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for chromosomes X, Y, and 18 to determine XX, YY, XY, and total sex-chromosome disomy in sperm nuclei. Serum was analyzed for concentrations of 57 PCB congeners and p,p´-DDE. Poisson regression models were used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for …

Copyright Page

The Journal of Tennessee State University

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

The Journal of Tennessee State University

No abstract provided.

Forward

The Journal of Tennessee State University

No abstract provided.

The Economic Impact Of Tennessee State University On The State Of Tennessee 2010-2011, Soumendra Ghosh, Anis Mnif, Sabeen Fahim

The Journal of Tennessee State University

No abstract provided.

Editorial Board Page

The Journal of Tennessee State University

No abstract provided.

Some Notable Writers, Editors, And Publishers Affiliated With Tsu Over Its First 100 Years

The Journal of Tennessee State University

No abstract provided.

Living Our Lives As Elders: A Convocation Address, Celeste C. Williams

The Journal of Tennessee State University

No abstract provided.

Dr. Thomas E. Poag: The Life And Works Of A Tsu Legend, Helen R. Houston

The Journal of Tennessee State University

No abstract provided.