Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Kaposi’S Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Transactivator Rta Induces Cell Cycle Arrest In G0/G1 Phase By Stabilizing And Promoting Nuclear Localization Of P27Kip, Pankaj Kumar, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) immediate-early gene, replication, and transcription activator (KRta) is a key viral protein that serves as the master regulator for viral lytic replication. In this study, we investigated the role of K-Rta in cell cycle regulation and found that the expression of K-Rta in doxycycline (Dox)-inducible BJAB cells induced cell cycle arrest in G₀/G₁ phase. Western blot analysis of key cell cycle regulators revealed that K-Rta-mediated cell cycle arrest was associated with a decrease in cyclin A and phosphorylated Rb (pS807/pS811) protein levels, both markers of S phase progression, and an increase in …

Low-Abundance Resistant Mutations In Hiv-1 Subtype C Antiretroviral Therapy-Naïve Individuals As Revealed By Pyrosequencing, Sandra Gonzalez, Damien C. Tully, Clement Gondwe, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Given the recent scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa, we sought to determine how often and at what levels do drug-resistant mutant variants exist in ART-naïve HIV subtype C infected individuals. Samples from 10 ART-naïve Zambian individuals were subjected to ultra-deep pyrosequencing (UDPS) to characterize the frequency of low-abundance drug resistance mutations in the pol gene. Low-abundance clinically relevant variants were detected for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and protease inhibitors (PIs) in eight of the ten subjects. Intermediate to high-level resistance was predicted for the majority of NRTIs. Mutations conferring resistance to …

Clade C Hiv-1 Isolates Circulating In Southern Africa Exhibit A Greater Frequency Of Dicysteine Motif-Containing Tat Variants Than Those In Southeast Asia And Cause Increased Neurovirulence, Vasudev R. Rao, Ujjwal Neogi, Joshua S, Talboom, Ligia Padilla, Mustafizur Rahman, Cari Fritz-French, Sandra Gonzalez-Ramirez, Anjali Verma, Charles Wood, Ruth M. Ruprecht, Udaykumar Ranga, Tasnim Azim, Vinayaka R. Prasad

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Background: HIV-1 Clade C (Subtype C; HIV-1C) is responsible for greater than 50% of infections worldwide. Unlike clade B HIV-1 (Subtype B; HIV-1B), which is known to cause HIV associated dementia (HAD) in approximately 15% to 30% of the infected individuals, HIV-1C has been linked with lower prevalence of HAD (0 to 6%) in India and Ethiopia. However, recent studies report a higher prevalence of HAD in South Africa, Zambia and Botswana, where HIV-1C infections predominate. Therefore, we examined whether Southern African HIV-1C is genetically distinct and investigated its neurovirulence. HIV-1 Tat protein is a viral determinant of neurocognitive dysfunction. …

Global Neuroaids Roundtable, Jeymohan Joseph, Cristian L. Achim, Michael J. Boivin, Bruce J. Brew, David B. Clifford, Deborah A. Colosi, Ronald J. Ellis, Robert K. Heaton, Amadou Gallo-Diop, Igor Grant, Georgette D. Kanmogne, Mahendra Kumar, Scott Letendre, Thomas D. Marcotte, Avindra Nath, Carlos A. Pardo, Robert H. Paul, Lynn Pulliam, Kevin Robertson, Walter Royal Iii, Ned Sacktor, Pasiri Sithinamsuwan, Davey M. Smith, Victor Valcour, Brian Wigdahl, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

In May 2012, the Division of AIDS Research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) organized the “Global NeuroAIDS Roundtable” in conjunction with the 11th International Symposium on Neurovirology and the 2012 Conference on HIV in the Nervous System. The meeting was held in New York, NY, USA and brought together NIMH-funded investigators who are currently working on projects related to the neurological complications of AIDS (NeuroAIDS) in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America in order to provide an opportunity to share their recent findings and discuss the challenges encountered within each country. The major goals of the …

The Role Of Is Infrastructure And Organizational Context On Implementation Of Electronic Health Records Systems, Pilar Pazos, Anjee Gorkhali, Rolando Delaguila

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This research explores the role that Information System (IS) infrastructure and organizational context play on the implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHR) Systems. A number of indicators can be used as a proxy for IS infrastructure such as: Information System (IS) Department Budget allocation, percentage of full time IS staff and the number of technical trainings provided by the IS department to the clinical staff. Data was obtained from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) database, a non-for profit organization that evaluates the use of information technology in the health care industry. This paper reports on the development …

Evaluation Of A New Chemistry For Rangeland Grasshopper Control, Jeffrey Bradshaw, Karla Jenkins, Sean Doyle Whipple Whipple, Rick Patrick

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A grasshopper control study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a new class of systemic chemical. The new pesticide Prevathon^® (high and low levels) was compared to Coragen^®, Dimilin^®, and a nontreated check. Grasshoppers were numerically reduced the most by Coragen and Prevathon, though not significant. The highest level of Prevathon did not numerically impact beneficial insects in general. Biomass and forage quality were not significantly impacted by chemical treatment. However, forage biomass was numericallygreatest for the highest level of Prevathon. Prevathon appears to be an acceptable systemic pesticide for grasshopper control with minimal …

Plantas Medicinales De Omitlán, Hidalgo, México, I. Fuentes-Cervantes, Miguel Ángel Villavicencio-Nieto, Blanca Estela Pérez-Escandón

Estudios científicos en el estado de Hidalgo y zonas aledañas

Se seleccionó la cabecera municipal de Omitlán, Hidalgo, con el objetivo de evaluar el uso de plantas medicinales, documentar la importancia de dichas especies y estimar el estado actual del conocimiento tradicional en la comunidad. Por medio de entrevistas se detectaron las especies de plantas de uso medicinal, las cuales fueron recolectadas e identificadas, y se llevó a cabo el análisis de datos. Se registraron 134 etnoespecies de plantas, se identificaron 102 especies, las cuales están distribuidas en 53 familias y 89 géneros. La familia y género mejor representados son Asteraceae y Sedum. En el promedio de menciones por …

Influence Of "Resistance Caming" On Physical Performance Among Disabled Youth, Laurel Erickson

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of "resistance gaming" on physical performance capacities of youth with cognitive and motor impairment. Considering the variability in disability among the participants, positive trends for improvement were evident from pre- to post-intervention for the physical performance capacities.

Heterogeneity In Platelet Exocytosis, Deepa Jonnalagadda

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Platelet exocytosis is essential for hemostasis and for many of its sequelae. Platelets release numerous bioactive molecules stored in their granules enabling them to exert a wide range of effects on the vascular microenvironment. Are these granule cargo released thematically in a context-specific pattern or via a stochastic, kinetically-controlled process? My work describes platelet exocytosis using a systematic examination of platelet secretion kinetics. Platelets were stimulated for increasing times with different agonists (i.e. thrombin, PAR1-agonist, PAR4-agonist, and convulxin) and micro-ELISA arrays were used to quantify the release of 28 distinct α-granule cargo molecules. Agonist potency directly correlated with the speed …

Investigating Therapeutic Options For Lafora Disease Using Structural Biology And Translational Methods, Amanda R. Sherwood

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Lafora disease (LD) is a rare yet invariably fatal form of epilepsy characterized by progressive degeneration of the central nervous and motor systems and accumulation of insoluble glucans within cells. LD results from mutation of either the phosphatase laforin, an enzyme that dephosphorylates cellular glycogen, or the E3 ubiquitin ligase malin, the binding partner of laforin. Currently, there are no therapeutic options for LD, or reported methods by which the specific activity of glucan phosphatases such as laforin can be easily measured. To facilitate our translational studies, we developed an assay with which the glucan phosphatase activity of laforin as …

Comparing Responsiveness Of Six Common Patient-Reported Outcomes To Changes Following Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Prospective Studies, Jennifer S. Howard, Christian Lattermann, Johanna M. Hoch, Carl G. Mattacola, Jennifer M. Medina Mckeon

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Objective: To compare the responsiveness of six common patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). Design: A systematic search was conducted to identify reports of PROs following ACI. Study quality was evaluated using the modified Coleman Methodology Score (mCMS). For each outcome score, pre- to postoperative paired Hedge's g effect sizes were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Random effects meta-analyses were performed to provide a summary response for each PRO at time points (TP) I (<1 year), II (1 year to <2 years), III (2 years to <4 years), IV (>= 4 years), and overall. Results: The mean mCMS for the 42 articles included was 50.9 +/- 9.2. For all evaluated instruments, …

It’S All About The Culture – Creating A Culture Of Inquiry And Passion For Quality Improvement, Jennifer Devine Bsn, Rn, Cmsrn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Meckel Gruber Syndrome: Second Trimester Diagnosis Of A Case In A Non-Consanguineous Marriage, Areej Alam, Mehreen Adhi, Raffat Bano, Aisha Zubair, Ammara Mushtaq

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Meckel-Gruber Syndrome (MKS) is a rare, autosomal recessive genetic disorder, incompatible with life. It is characterized by enlarged polycystic kidneys and post axial polydactyly. Foetal or neonatal death is caused by pulmonary hypoplasia. We report a case of a 35 year old woman who presented at 7 weeks of gestation of her sixth pregnancy. A transabdominal anomaly ultrasound performed for her current pregnancy at 18 weeks of gestation showed features consistent with MKS. The termination of pregnancy was declined and a live newborn female was delivered via an emergency caeserean section at 34 weeks of gestation due to previous history …

Silent Uterine Rupture Of Scarred Uterus--An Unusual Presentation As Amniocele, Aisha Syed Wali, Tahira Naru

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Obstetricians should be aware of the possibility of silent rupture of scarred uterus. Ultrasound has an important role in the diagnosis of silent uterine rupture. A case of silent uterine rupture with foetal demise, that remained undiagnosed for many weeks, is described.

Influence Of Flue Gas Components On The Growth Rate Of Chlorella Vulgaris And Scenedesmus Acutus, Czarena Crofcheck, Aubrey Shea, Michael D. Montross, Mark Crocker, Rodney Andrews

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased since the industrial revolution due to the increase in combustion of fossil fuels. One possible alternative strategy is the use of microalgae for CO₂ capture and recycling. Major components in coal-derived flue gas that may accumulate and effect algae growth include both sulfur oxides and fly ash. However, in practical application, sulfur oxides will be converted quickly to the acid product (H₂SO₄) in the aerobic aqueous conditions of algae cultivation. In this article, the influence of elevated H₂SO₄ levels and the presence of coal-derived fly ash …

Willingness To Undergo A Repeat Liver Biopsy Among Hiv/Hepatitis C Virus-Coinfected And Hepatitis C Virus-Monoinfected Patients, Valerianna K Amorosa, Omowunmi Aibana, Norah J Shire, Zachariah Dorey-Stein, Thomas Ferrara, Joanne Gilmore, Jay R Kostman, Vincent Lo Re

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Guidelines for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) management have recommended that a liver biopsy be repeated at 3-year intervals for HIV/HCV-coinfected patients and 5-year intervals for those with HCV monoinfection to assess fibrosis progression. However, it is unclear if patients are willing to repeat this procedure.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and factors, particularly HIV coinfection, associated with willingness to repeat a liver biopsy.

METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to 235 HCV-infected patients (113 with HIV coinfection) between January 2008 and June 2011 who previously underwent liver biopsy. The main outcome was self-reported willingness to repeat the biopsy. The …

Ultrasonication Assisted Layer-By-Layer Technology For The Preparation Of Multi-Functional Anticancer Drugs Paclitaxel And Lapatinib, Xingcai Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, ultrasonication assisted Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technology for the preparation of multifunctional poorly water-soluble anticancer drug nanoparticles, paclitaxel and lapatinib, has been developed. Many FDA approved drugs are very low soluble in water; therefore, it is very difficult to load and control their release and targeting efficiently, which greatly confines their application. The development of this method will pave the way for the development and application of those low soluble anticancer drugs.

In the first part of this dissertation, the first approach for powerful ultrasonication, the top-down approach (sonicating bulk drug crystals in polyelectrolyte solution), was successfully applied for …

‘What’S In The Niddk Cdr?’—Public Query Tools For The Niddk Central Data Repository, Huaqin Pan, Mary-Anne Ardini, Vesselina Bakalov, Michael Delatte, Paul Eggers, Laxminarayana Ganapathi, Craig R. Hollingsworth, Joshua Levy, Sheping Li, Joseph Pratt, Norma Pugh, Ying Qin, Rebekah Rasooly, Helen Ray, Jean E. Richardson, Amanda Flynn Riley, Susan M. Rogers, Sylvia Tan, Charles F. Turner, Stacie White, Philip C. Cooley

Publications and Research

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Disease (NIDDK) Central Data Repository (CDR) is a web-enabled resource available to researchers and the general public. The CDR warehouses clinical data and study documentation from NIDDK funded research, including such landmark studies as The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT, 1983–93) and the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC, 1994–present) follow-up study which has been ongoing for more than 20 years. The CDR also houses data from over 7 million biospecimens representing 2 million subjects. To help users explore the vast amount of data stored in the NIDDK CDR, we developed …

Status Report On The Sexual And Reproductive Health Of Adolescents Living In Urban Slums In Kenya, Donatien Beguy, Joyce Mumah, Salome Wawire, Kanyiva Muindi, Lindsey Gottschalk, Caroline W. Kabiru

Reproductive Health

This report highlights the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges faced by adolescents living in slums in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as the perceptions and strategies that adolescents adopt to deal with each of these challenges. The results point to the fact that there is a range of experiences among adolescents with regard to knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Age, education, and marital status were often strongly associated with certain adolescent sexual and reproductive health experiences, highlighting the fact that targeted programs are needed to reach adolescents with SRH services at different stages of need. Consistent and persistent poverty reduction strategies …

Post-Abortion Care In Pakistan: A National Study, Zeba Sathar, Susheela Singh, Zakir Hussain Shah, Gul Rashida, Iram Kamran, Kanwal Eshai

Reproductive Health

The objectives of this Population Council study were twofold: first to collect information on prevailing practices of abortion and post‐abortion care in Pakistan and, second, to gauge changes in the magnitude and quality of abortion‐related complications and care during the last decade (since the 2002 national study of “Unwanted Pregnancy and Post‐abortion Complications in Pakistan”). The study found that the level of post‐abortion family planning (FP) counseling in both public and private health facilities offering PAC services was inadequate. There has been no improvement over the decade in the level of counseling reported, and, even more disappointingly, only half of …

Retro-Aortic Left Renal Vein, Joann Aichroth, Rdms, Traci B. Fox, Ms, Rt(R), Rdms, Rvt

Department of Radiologic Sciences Faculty Papers

The term retro-aortic left renal vein (RLRV) is defined as the left renal vein coursing posterior to the abdominal aorta. RLRV is an uncommon condition in which the left renal vein passes posterior to the abdominal aorta and anterior to the vertebrae. RLRV may lead to left renal vein hypertension (LRVH) syndrome, which is also known as Nutcracker syndrome. Nutcracker syndrome (NCS) is a condition in which the left renal vein is compressed causing hypertension of the vessel. RLRV and Nutcracker syndrome are vascular anomalies considered to be of clinical importance especially during surgical procedures of the renal vasculature.

Unmet Need And Unintended Pregnancy: The Bigger Picture, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.

Lyrica, Shannon Hayward

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

Illustrates the chemical components of Lyrica, a pain management medication.

Chlomid, Niki Smith

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

This poster details the use of Clomid and provides a chemical analysis.

Testosterone Use And Effects, Brandon Mills

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

Summarizes the chemical make-up, medical applications and side effects for the steroidal hormone Testosterone. This is a project for the Natural Sciences Poster Session at Parkland College.

Contributing To Family Health Using A Promotora Program In Guatamala, Roxanne Amerson

Publications

Pneumonia and diarrhea can be addressed with early detection and education, yet low rates of literacy and high rates of poverty impact the ability of parents in rural Guatemala to recognize and seek treatment for their children. This article describes the health promotion program implemented to address these and other common health problems in one isolated community. A promotora program utilizes informal, indigenous leaders within the community to promote health in Latino populations. Developing a health education program based on the promotora concept empowered the women of the community by giving them the knowledge and skills to improve the health …

Submitting For Dollars: Playing The Funding Game To Promote Transcultural Nursing, Roxanne Amerson

Publications

Research requires funding, and every researcher understands the crucial role that money plays in implementing a research study. Research in the nursing field is no different. In the current economic environment, funding sources have become limited and researchers need to be prepared to submit grant proposals which will give them a competitive edge over other grant proposals. This paper will describe the development of a grant proposal for National Institutes of Health funding and provide suggestions to novice researchers about how to write a proposal that has the potential to receive a fundable score. The team of early stage investigators …

Analysis Of Gender Differences In Self-Statements And Mood Disorders, Robert Devore, Mary E. Pritchard

Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Over 25% of adult Americans suffer from a mental disorder each year, with depression and anxiety being some of the most commonly reported issues. Researchers estimate that between 10% and 50% of adult Americans will suffer from a depressive episode at some point in their life, and cognitive theorists argue that mental states, including disorders, are generated and maintained by personal, subjective beliefs, and that events can only be appropriately labeled by the individual experiencing them. Thus, cognitive theorists suggest a strong link between self-talk (ST) and behavior and note that the automatic use of ST is associated with disordered …

Hippocampal Neurogenesis And The Brain Repair Response To Brief Stereotaxic Insertion Of A Microneedle, Shijie Song, Shuojing Song, Chuanhai Cao, Xiaoyang Lin, Kunyu Li, Vasyl Sava, Juan Sanchez-Ramos

Neurology Faculty Publications

We tested the hypothesis that transient microinjury to the brain elicits cellular and humoral responses that stimulate hippocampal neurogenesis. Brief stereotaxic insertion and removal of a microneedle into the right hippocampus resulted in (a) significantly increased expression of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), the chemokine MIP-1a, and the proinflammatory cytokine IL12p40; (b) pronounced activation of microglia and astrocytes; and (c) increase in hippocampal neurogenesis. This study describes immediate and early humoral and cellular mechanisms of the brain’s response to microinjury that will be useful for the investigation of potential neuroprotective and deleterious effects of deep brain stimulation in various neuropsychiatric disorders.

Extending Global Education Through Remote Laboratory Access, Uwe Reischl, Scott Harris

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Advanced software technologies that are integrated with physical laboratories now allow students and researchers to access laboratory equipment and instruments remotely through the Internet. While this capability has been used in engineering and science education successfully for some time, application of this approach to human factors engineering and ergonomics education is new. The development of a remote ergonomics laboratory based on such an Internet technology is described. The focus of this new laboratory is to provide a method of evaluating protective clothing heat stress using a thermal manikin technology. The laboratory has generated global interest and created international collaboration in …