Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

5-Aminolevulinate Synthase: Characterization Of The Enzymatic Mechanism, Reaction Selectivity, And Structural Plasticity, Bosko M. Stojanovski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

5-Aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS) catalyzes the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent condensation between glycine and succinyl-CoA to generate coenzyme A (CoA), CO₂, and 5-aminolevulinate (ALA). The chemical mechanism of this reaction, which represents the first and regulated step of heme biosynthesis in mammals, involves the formation of a short-lived glycine quinonoid intermediate and an unstable 2-amino-3-ketoadipate intermediate. Using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to analyze the products from the reaction of murine erythroid ALAS (mALAS2) with O-methylglycine and succinyl-CoA, we directly identified the chemical nature of the inherently unstable 2-amino-3-ketoadipate intermediate, which predicates the glycine quinonoid species as …

‘None Of Us Are Free Until We Are All Free’: Science And Solidarity At The 10th Annual Huntington's Disease Therapeutic Conference, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Statin Use And Risk Of Haemorrhagic Stroke In A Community-Based Cohort Of Postmenopausal Women: An Observational Study From The Women's Health Initiative, Elena Salmoriago-Blotcher, Kathleen M. Hovey, Christopher A. Andrews, Jennifer G. Robinson, Karen C. Johnson, Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Sybil Crawford, Lisa W. Martin, Judith Ockene, Joann E. Manson

Medicine Faculty Publications

Objectives To determine whether statin treatment is associated with increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke (HS) in older women. A secondary objective was to evaluate HS risk in users of combined statin and antiplatelet treatment.

Design Observational study: secondary data analysis from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trials.

Setting Women were recruited from 40 participating sites.

Participants Cohort of 68 132 women followed through 2005 (parent study) and for an additional 5 years in the extension study.

Main outcome measures Statin use was assessed at baseline and at follow-up visits (1, 3, 6 and 9 years). Women brought medications in …

Pharmacologically Distinct Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Drive Efferent-Mediated Excitation In Calyx-Bearing Vestibular Afferents, J. Chris Holt, Kevin Kewin, Paivi M. Jordan, Peter Cameron, Marcin Klapczynski, J. Michael Mcintosh, Peter A. Crooks, Linda P. Dwoskin, Anna Lysakowski

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Electrical stimulation of vestibular efferent neurons rapidly excites the resting discharge of calyx/dimorphic (CD) afferents. In turtle, this excitation arises when acetylcholine (ACh), released from efferent terminals, directly depolarizes calyceal endings by activating nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs). Although molecular biological data from the peripheral vestibular system implicate most of the known nAChR subunits, specific information about those contributing to efferent-mediated excitation of CD afferents is lacking. We sought to identify the nAChR subunits that underlie the rapid excitation of CD afferents and whether they differ from α9α10 nAChRs on type II hair cells that drive efferent-mediated inhibition in adjacent bouton …

Today - February 25, 2015, Loma Linda University Health

TODAY

Inside this issue:

-- Loma Linda University Health president one of 15 Inland Empire people to watch during 2015, according to Press-Enterprise
-- U.S. representative visits Loma Linda University Health
-- Children's Hospital Foundation Gala theme celebrates twenties
-- International Heart Institute physician awarded March of Dimes Community Service Grant to diagnose heart defects
-- Student dietitian helps retired law enforcement officer find new lifestyle
-- Leadership changes announced
-- Loma Linda University Health nurses teach chemotherapy course in Hong Kong
-- Management residents serve a global audience
-- How Jodi Staff turned her life around to truly 'Live It' …

Hiv Testing For Pmtct In Tanzania: Time To Move From ‘Voluntary’ To ‘Mandatory’?, Kahabi Isangula, Audrey Holmes, Sharon Brownie

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Introduction: Every year many infants are infected with HIV, mostly in sub Saharan Africa. This is predominantly attributed to mother-to-child or “vertical” transmission during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and breastfeeding. Advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) and funding have made the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV more affordable in sub-Saharan Africa. However, despite this advance and its potential in PMTCT, the uptake of HIV testing among pregnant women as an entry point to PMTCT services remains unsatisfactory in many countries.

Methods & Results: In the present paper, authors’ present a viewpoint that supports mandatory HIV testing for pregnant women …

Développement De Critères De Conception De Cales De Roues Pour Retenir Les Camions Et Les Semi-Remorques Aux Quais De Chargement, Denis Rancourt, Yves St-Amant, Stéphane Martel, Geneviève Masson

Rapports de recherche scientifique

La présente étude avait pour but de définir des critères de conception pour des cales de roues de camions et de semi-remorques utilisées aux quais de chargement. Ces critères devaient faire en sorte de permettre à la cale de maintenir immobilisé un camion ou un semi-remorque malgré trois éléments perturbateurs: le départ inopiné du camion ou du semi-remorque, le freinage des chariots élévateurs sur la plateforme de la semi-remorque et l'action de la gravité. Ces trois situations font en sorte que la semi-remorque peut s'éloigner spontanément ou progressivement du quai jusqu'à ce que la lèvre tombe et crée un vide …

Factors Associated With Intention To Receive Influenza And Tetanus, Diphtheria, And Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccines During Pregnancy: A Focus On Vaccine Hesitancy And Perceptions Of Disease Severity And Vaccine Safety, Allison T. Chamberlain, Katherine Seib, Kevin A. Ault, Walter A. Orenstein, Paula M. Frew, Fauzia Malik, Marielysse Cortés, Pat Cota, Ellen A. S. Whitney, Lisa C. Flowers, Ruth L. Berkelman, Saad B. Omer

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

BACKGROUND: Improving influenza and tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine coverage among pregnant women is needed. PURPOSE: To assess factors associated with intention to receive influenza and/or Tdap vaccinations during pregnancy with a focus on perceptions of influenza and pertussis disease severity and influenza vaccine safety. METHODS: Participants were 325 pregnant women in Georgia recruited from December 2012 – April 2013 who had not yet received a 2012/2013 influenza vaccine or a Tdap vaccine while pregnant. Women completed a survey assessing influenza vaccination history, likelihood of receiving antenatal influenza and/or Tdap vaccines, and knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about influenza, …

The Association Of Cognitive Endophenotypes And Risky Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Of Alzheimer's Disease Within The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (Adni) Database, Kyle Joseph Jennette

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) previously associated with Alzheimer's disease on specific domains of cognition, when controlling for Apolipoprotein E gene (APOE), in a sample of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Methods: The data were drawn from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database, a comprehensive, longitudinal database of controls, persons with mild cognitive impairment, and persons with mild Alzheimer's disease. Each subject has a full neuropsychological assessment, neuroimaging, genetic sequencing, and physical evaluation. For the purposes of this study, individuals were selected based on the presence of the three …

Needle Loss In Subclavian Vein During Central Venous Catheter Placement: Case Report Of A Rare Complication, Daniela Botolin, Annie Mooser, Duane Stillions, Keith Mortman, Shawn N. Sarin, Joseph C. Babrowicz

Surgery Faculty Publications

We present a case of needle separation during central venous catheter (CVC) placement in a super morbidly obese patient with subsequent surgical intervention in its retrieval. This complication, potentially lethal due to the relevant anatomy of such a procedure, alerts critical care physicians and surgeons to the possibility of equipment failure and stresses proper technique in what has become a routine procedure. It also emphasizes the routine use of ultrasound-guidance for cannulation in patients of any body habitus. While infection and arrhythmia are the generally known complications of CVC placement, clinicians must be alert to unanticipated events such as needle …

Long-Term Treatment With Responsive Brain Stimulation In Adults With Refractory Partial Seizures., Gregory K Bergey, Martha J Morrell, Eli M Mizrahi, Alica Goldman, David King-Stephens, Donald C Shields, +34 Additional Authors

Neurological Surgery Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: The long-term efficacy and safety of responsive direct neurostimulation was assessed in adults with medically refractory partial onset seizures.

METHODS: All participants were treated with a cranially implanted responsive neurostimulator that delivers stimulation to 1 or 2 seizure foci via chronically implanted electrodes when specific electrocorticographic patterns are detected (RNS System). Participants had completed a 2-year primarily open-label safety study (n = 65) or a 2-year randomized blinded controlled safety and efficacy study (n = 191); 230 participants transitioned into an ongoing 7-year study to assess safety and efficacy.

RESULTS: The average participant was 34 (±11.4) years old with …

Belief About Nicotine Selectively Modulates Value And Reward Prediction Error Signals In Smokers, Xiaosi Gu, Terry Lohrenz, Ramiro Salas, Philip R. Baldwin, Alireza Soltani

Dartmouth Scholarship

Little is known about how prior beliefs impact biophysically described processes in the presence of neuroactive drugs, which presents a profound challenge to the understanding of the mechanisms and treatments of addiction. We engineered smokers' prior beliefs about the presence of nicotine in a cigarette smoked before a functional magnetic resonance imaging session where subjects carried out a sequential choice task. Using a model-based approach, we show that smokers' beliefs about nicotine specifically modulated learning signals (value and reward prediction error) defined by a computational model of mesolimbic dopamine systems. Belief of "no nicotine in cigarette" (compared with "nicotine in …

An Examination Of The Relationships Between Rumination, Social Problem-Solving, Mindfulness And Depressive Symptomology, Taylor Wiltsee

Theses and Dissertations

The present study will examine the relationships between rumination, social problem-solving, mindfulness, and depressive symptomology. These relationships will be evaluated by means of Pearson correlations, and the testing of the proposed path model using AMOS. In order to test our hypotheses, undergraduate students were asked to complete a battery of self-report measures to quantify ruminative tendencies, problem-solving ability, mindfulness skills, and depressive symptom severity and were given course credit for participation. Results indicate that hypotheses were partially supported. Bivariate correlations yielded statistically significant relationships between each of the constructs, with rumination positively associated with depressive symptoms, and negatively associated with …

Social Support To Reduce Uncertainty In Childhood Cancer In South Texas: A Case Study, Martha Danielle Gunter

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Parents of children with cancer are faced with the complicated situation of not only learning their child is critically ill, but also of learning how to adapt to life with childhood cancer. For parents of a child with cancer uncertainty can lead to increased levels of stress, anxiety, fear, loss of control and depression. Successful psychosocial and educational interventions in reducing uncertainty in adult populations have been reported. However, these have not been well documented in families dealing with childhood cancer. Discovering how to best provide these interventions in south Texas will provide a foundation for future research interventions in …

Loss Of Prolyl Carboxypeptidase In Two-Kidney, One-Clip Goldblatt Hypertensive Mice, Nadja Grobe, Orly Leiva, Mariana Morris, Khalid M. Elased

Pharmacology and Toxicology Faculty Publications

It is well documented that angiotensin (Ang) II contributes to kidney disease progression. The protease prolyl carboxypeptidase (PRCP) is highly expressed in the kidney and may be renoprotective by degrading Ang II to Ang-(1-7). The aim of the study was to investigate whether renal PRCP protein expression and activity are altered in two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C) Goldblatt hypertensive mice. Left renal artery was constricted by using 0.12 mm silver clips. Blood pressure was measured using telemetry over the eleven weeks of study period and revealed an immediate increase in 2K1C animals during the first week of clip placement which was followed …

Dynamic Perfusion Ct In Brain Tumors., Timothy Pok Chi Yeung, Glenn Bauman, Slav Yartsev, Enrico Fainardi, David Macdonald, Ting-Yim Lee

Medical Biophysics Publications

Dynamic perfusion CT (PCT) is an imaging technique for assessing the vascular supply and hemodynamics of brain tumors by measuring blood flow, blood volume, and permeability-surface area product. These PCT parameters provide information complementary to histopathologic assessments and have been used for grading brain tumors, distinguishing high-grade gliomas from other brain lesions, differentiating true progression from post-treatment effects, and predicting prognosis after treatments. In this review, the basic principles of PCT are described, and applications of PCT of brain tumors are discussed. The advantages and current challenges, along with possible solutions, of PCT are presented.

The Dissociable Effects Of Punishment And Reward On Motor Learning, Joseph M. Galea, Elizabeth Mallia, John Rothwell, Jorn Diedrichsen

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

A common assumption regarding error-based motor learning (motor adaptation) in humans is that its underlying mechanism is automatic and insensitive to reward- or punishment-based feedback. Contrary to this hypothesis, we show in a double dissociation that the two have independent effects on the learning and retention components of motor adaptation. Negative feedback, whether graded or binary, accelerated learning. While it was not necessary for the negative feedback to be coupled to monetary loss, it had to be clearly related to the actual performance on the preceding movement. Positive feedback did not speed up learning, but it increased retention of the …

What's Happening: February 23, 2015, Maine Medical Center

What's Happening

No abstract provided.

Stakeholder Perspectives Of The Effectiveness Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication Techniques In Children With Autism, Daria Constantinescu

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to utilize focus groups and individual interviews to investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of augmentative and alternative (AAC) techniques in facilitating language in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as expressed by the opinions and attitudes of stakeholders involved in the process. ASD is a disorder that affects an individual's social and communication skills that usually surfaces within a child's first three years of life. There have been numerous studies conducted comparing different types of AAC intervention systems, but there is little information on stakeholders' opinions. The current study utilized one focus group interview …

Vibrations Mains-Bras : Caractérisation Du Syndrome Du Marteau Hypothénarien Chez Les Travailleurs Utilisant Des Outils Manuels, Alice Turcot, Miruna Dumitrescu, Marie Fortier, Pierre Marcotte, Vicky Bernier, Andréane Chabot

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les travailleurs utilisant des outils portatifs vibrants et/ou des outils manuels (sans vibrations) sont à risque de développer le syndrome du marteau hypothénarien (SMH) et s’exposent ainsi à de lourdes conséquences pour la santé, dont l’amputation des doigts (Thompson et House, 2006; Honma et collab., 2000; Kaji et collab., 1993). En effet, l’artère cubitale de la paume de la main est située en superficie et n’est pas suffisamment protégée par des tissus (par exemple, des muscles). Elle est ainsi particulièrement vulnérable aux coups et vibrations ainsi qu’aux traumatismes répétés à la main, lorsque les travailleurs frappent ou cognent les matériaux …

Radiation Therapy After Radical Prostatectomy For Prostate Cancer: Evaluation Of Complications And Influence Of Radiation Timing On Outcomes In A Large, Population-Based Cohort., Sarah E Hegarty, Terry Hyslop, Adam Dicker Md, Phd, Timothy Showalter Md

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of timing of salvage and adjuvant radiation therapy on outcomes after prostatectomy for prostate cancer.

METHODS: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked database, we identified prostate cancer patients diagnosed during 1995-2007 who had one or more adverse pathological features after prostatectomy. The final cohort of 6,137 eligible patients included men who received prostatectomy alone (n = 4,509) or with adjuvant (n = 894) or salvage (n = 734) radiation therapy. Primary outcomes were genitourinary, gastrointestinal, and erectile dysfunction events and survival after treatment(s).

RESULTS: Radiation therapy after prostatectomy was associated with higher rates …

Sleep Promotion By Clustering Care, Arielle Cratsenberg Bsn, Rn, Pamela Fisher Bsn, Rn, Casey Herrera Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Generation Of A Retinoblastoma (Rb)1-Inducible Dominant-Negative (Dn) Mouse Model., Shikha Tarang, Songila M.S.R Doi, Channabasavaiah B. Gurumurthy, Donald W. Harms, Rolen M. Quadros, Sonia M. Rocha-Sanchez

Journal Articles: Genetics, Cell Biology & Anatomy

Retinoblastoma 1 (Rb1) is an essential gene regulating cellular proliferation, differentiation, and homeostasis. To exert these functions, Rb1 is recruited and physically interacts with a growing variety of signaling pathways. While Rb1 does not appear to be ubiquitously expressed, its expression has been confirmed in a variety of hematopoietic and neuronal-derived cells, including the inner ear hair cells (HCs). Studies in transgenic mice demonstrate that complete germline or conditional Rb1 deletion leads to abnormal cell proliferation, followed by massive apoptosis; making it difficult to fully address Rb1's biochemical activities. To overcome these limitations, we developed a tetracycline-inducible TetO-CB-myc6-Rb1 (CBRb) mouse …

Nurses' Knowledge And Attitudes About Pain In Hospitalized Patient, Catherine Morrow Bsn, Rn, Jennifer M. Lanter Bsn, Rn, Kimberlee Hunsicker Bsn, Rn, Julie Caracio Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

The Pediatric Population And Emla Cream, Meghan Groves Bsn, Rn, Laura Majchrowski Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Skin - To- Skin Contact After Cesarean Delivery (Poster)., Brittany Cerino Bsn, Rn, Keli Cichonski Bsn, Rn, Lee Daignault Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Orthostatic Vital Signs, Katie Martin Bsn, Rn, Amanda Penna Bsn, Rn, Allyson Stettler Bsn, Rn, Jennifer Towler Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

‘Darkness Replaced By Hope And Light’: Taking Stock Of Huntington's Disease Research, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - February 22, 2015, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the February 22, 2015 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's Newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents Include:

March Med School Café – ‘Surgical Treatment of Epilepsy'

USA Medical Students Recognized for Service to Student-Run Clinic at 15 Place

Dr. Lisa Moreno Walton Presents Internal Medicine Grand Rounds

Dr. Di Palma Recognized with ACG Master Award

Graduate Student Awarded Grant for Lung Research

Predicting Functional And Regulatory Divergence Of A Drug Resistance Transporter Gene In The Human Malaria Parasite, Geoffrey H. Siwo, Asako Tan, Katrina A. Button-Simons, Upeka Samarakoon, Lisa A. Checkley, Richard S. Pinapati, Michael T. Ferdig

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background:

The paradigm of resistance evolution to chemotherapeutic agents is that a key coding mutation in a specific gene drives resistance to a particular drug. In the case of resistance to the anti-malarial drug chloroquine (CQ), a specific mutation in the transporter pfcrt is associated with resistance. Here, we apply a series of analytical steps to gene expression data from our lab and leverage 3 independent datasets to identify pfcrt-interacting genes. Resulting networks provide insights into pfcrt’s biological functions and regulation, as well as the divergent phenotypic effects of its allelic variants in different genetic backgrounds.

Results:

To …