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2016

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Articles 9691 - 9720 of 12710

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

What Is The Process Of Relational Work Of The Nurse?, Daniela Terrizzi Defrino Jan 2016

What Is The Process Of Relational Work Of The Nurse?, Daniela Terrizzi Defrino

Dissertations

The process of how nurses work in relationships to accomplish their work is presented in this dissertation. This study has made the relational work process of nurses explicit. While research demonstrates that increased nurse staffing is associated with better patient outcomes and with nurses experiencing less burnout and job dissatisfaction, the process is not explored in the empirical literature.

The research question was: “What is the process of relational work of the nurse?” Data collection and analysis conformed to the process of classical grounded theory. Interviews were face to face with 23 registered nurses working as direct care staff nurses …


Consequences Of Estrogen Receptor Beta Phosphorylation In The Aged Female Brain And Heart, Elena Pinceti Jan 2016

Consequences Of Estrogen Receptor Beta Phosphorylation In The Aged Female Brain And Heart, Elena Pinceti

Dissertations

Female life expectancy in the United States has steadily increased and now averages 81 years. Meanwhile, the age at which women reach menopause remains constant at 51 years. Both neurological and cardiovascular disorders increase following menopause, affecting women’s quality of life and leading to large health care costs. Estrogens are neuroprotective and cardioprotective for women, however when administered long after menopause, they fail to improve their health.

The effects of estrogen are mediated by Estrogen Receptor α (ERα) and Estrogen Receptor β (ERβ). Evidence supports that ERβ plays an important role in neuroprotection and cardioprotection, but aspects of ERβ molecular …


Hiv/Aids Care And Prevention Infrastructure In The U.S. Deep South, Susan S. Reif, Kristen Sullivan, Elena Wilson, Miriam Berger, Carolyn Mcallaster Jan 2016

Hiv/Aids Care And Prevention Infrastructure In The U.S. Deep South, Susan S. Reif, Kristen Sullivan, Elena Wilson, Miriam Berger, Carolyn Mcallaster

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.


The Affordable Care Act And Addiction Treatment: Preparing The Undergraduate Human Services Professional, Chaniece Winfield, Rebekah Cole, Laurie Craigen Jan 2016

The Affordable Care Act And Addiction Treatment: Preparing The Undergraduate Human Services Professional, Chaniece Winfield, Rebekah Cole, Laurie Craigen

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The steady growth of the substance abuse and addiction field in addition to the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACT) increases the need for competent and credentialed substance abuse professionals. As generalists in the helping field, human services professionals would benefit from education and sufficient credentialing in substance abuse and addiction treatment. The authors of this article suggest that substance abuse and addiction education be considered for inclusion at the accreditation level for human services programs. Furthermore, a discussion of the Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) international credential and its benefits and implications for human services professionals will be …


Professional Counseling's Alignment With The Core Competencies For Interprofessional Collaborative Practice, Kaprea F. Johnson, Miranda Mj Parries Jan 2016

Professional Counseling's Alignment With The Core Competencies For Interprofessional Collaborative Practice, Kaprea F. Johnson, Miranda Mj Parries

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Previous findings show that there is a misconception of the counseling profession and a lack of awareness of their role in interprofessional collaboration; which may lead to underutilization of counselors for team based care. As an example, in 2009 six professional health related associations developed core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice and counseling associations were not involved in the development. This manuscript introduces the profession of counseling to others in medical health professions in hopes that similarities will bridge the gap between knowledge and future collaborative practice. The manuscript shows how the profession aligns with the core competencies for interprofessional …


Medication Therapy Management, Ayman M. Noreddin, Francis Ndemo, David Ombengi Jan 2016

Medication Therapy Management, Ayman M. Noreddin, Francis Ndemo, David Ombengi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"According to the Institute of Medicine report medications are the most common medical intervention. However, drug-related morbidity and mortality now represents a major public health challenge due to the ineffective and unsafe consequences of medication use. Morbidity in this case relates to disease and illness associated with drug therapy whereas mortality relates to death associated with drug therapy. It is also estimated in the US that drug-related morbidity and mortality cost about $200 billion annually in health care expenditure.

This is clearly a failure in our healthcare systems."


Capillary Endothelia From Two Adpkd Patients Are Polyploidy, Sarmed H. Kathem, Wissam A. Aboualaiwi, Xiaolin Zi, Surya M. Nauli Jan 2016

Capillary Endothelia From Two Adpkd Patients Are Polyploidy, Sarmed H. Kathem, Wissam A. Aboualaiwi, Xiaolin Zi, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Bilateral renal cyst formation is the main feature of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). We and other laboratories have previously shown that cystlining epithelia of kidneys from ADPKD patients are characterized by polyploidy. In this report, we show that endothelia from the renal capillary beds of two ADPKD patients are also polyploidy. Spectral karyotyping study further confirms our flow cytometry analyses. We suggest that polyploidy may be used as a potential cellular marker in ADPKD.


Improving The Renal Profile Of A Hiv Drug Combination Through Prodrug Alteration, Derek E. Murrell, Sam Harirforoosh Jan 2016

Improving The Renal Profile Of A Hiv Drug Combination Through Prodrug Alteration, Derek E. Murrell, Sam Harirforoosh

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to alter the lives of countless individuals, who once infected, live on a continuum between viral suppression and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The former being achieved via the use of various antiretrovirals beginning with the release of zidovudine over a quarter-century ago; whereas the latter may result from treatment failure or lack of treatment such as in the absence of diagnosis or the inaccessibility of medication. As no cure is yet available, regimens must be continued lifelong. Thus, contemporary treatment is given as a combination of agents from various antiretroviral drug classes in an effort to …


Manufacturing Barriers To Biologics Competition And Innovation, W. Nicholson Price Ii, Arti K. Rai Jan 2016

Manufacturing Barriers To Biologics Competition And Innovation, W. Nicholson Price Ii, Arti K. Rai

Faculty Scholarship

As finding breakthrough small-molecule drugs gets harder, drug companies are increasingly turning to “large molecule” biologics. Although biologics represent many of the most promising new therapies for previously intractable diseases, they are extremely expensive. Moreover, the pathway for generic-type competition set up by Congress in 2010 is unlikely to yield significant cost savings.

In this Article, we provide a fresh diagnosis of, and prescription for, this major public policy problem. We argue that the key cause is pervasive trade secrecy in the complex area of biologics manufacturing. Under the current regime, this trade secrecy, combined with certain features of FDA …


Impact Of Electronic Health Records On Patient Outcomes, Lilian Ndifon, Jude E. Edwards, Leila Halawi Jan 2016

Impact Of Electronic Health Records On Patient Outcomes, Lilian Ndifon, Jude E. Edwards, Leila Halawi

Publications

With the passing of the HITECH Act, EHRs have come into prominence and sharper focus, due to efforts by the government to push for a national adoption of EHRs into our healthcare system. This push for a national adoption of EHRs is based on the premise that it will help improve the quality delivery of health care services and reduce costs. However, this push for a “national adoption” has experienced mixed results. This study was designed to assess the impact of EHRs post-2009, the year of the HITECH Act, to review some of the key contributing factors to this mixed …


The Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs And Knowledge Of Physical Therapy Clinical Instructors, Debra A. Bierwas, Joan Leafman, Donald K. Shaw Jan 2016

The Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs And Knowledge Of Physical Therapy Clinical Instructors, Debra A. Bierwas, Joan Leafman, Donald K. Shaw

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Introduction: For evidence-based practice to occur in patient management or clinical instruction, a knowledge of evidence-based practice principles is needed, including how to retrieve, appraise, and apply evidence. Attitudes and beliefs are also important, since for effective change in practice to occur it must be consistent with beliefs and needs. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the evidence-based practice beliefs and knowledge of physical therapist clinical instructors and to determine whether differences in self-reported beliefs or knowledge existed based upon respondent characteristics of highest degree, age, association membership, and certification. Methods: For this cross-sectional descriptive study an …


Assessing Self-Reported Interprofessional Competency In Health-Care Education: Impact Of New Curriculum, Anthony Goreczny, Melissa L. Bednarek, Susan R. Hawkins, Mark L. Hertweck, Jodi Schreiber, Susan E. Sterrett Jan 2016

Assessing Self-Reported Interprofessional Competency In Health-Care Education: Impact Of New Curriculum, Anthony Goreczny, Melissa L. Bednarek, Susan R. Hawkins, Mark L. Hertweck, Jodi Schreiber, Susan E. Sterrett

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel (IPEC) has identified four competencies essential for interprofessional functioning in the health professions. Those four competencies are (a) values/ethics for interprofessional practice, (b) roles/responsibilities, (c) interprofessional communication, and (d) teams and teamwork. Design of effective curricula to develop competence in these skills will improve interprofessional functioning in healthcare. The purpose of this study at a small northeastern university was to examine impact of a small group interprofessional education (IPE) curriculum on student awareness of one of the competencies, understanding roles and responsibilities. Methods: The quantitative study data consisted of student completion of a …


Factors Influencing The Use Of Evidence-Based Practice Among Physiotherapists And Occupational Therapists In Their Clinical Work, Sofi Fristedt, Kristina Areskoug Josefsson, Ann-Sofi Kammerlind Jan 2016

Factors Influencing The Use Of Evidence-Based Practice Among Physiotherapists And Occupational Therapists In Their Clinical Work, Sofi Fristedt, Kristina Areskoug Josefsson, Ann-Sofi Kammerlind

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a process through which research is applied in daily clinical practice. Occupational therapists (OTs) and physiotherapists (PTs) are expected to work in line with EBP in order to optimise health care resources. This expectation is too seldom fulfilled. Consequently, research findings may not be implemented in clinical practice in a timely manner, or at all. To remedy this situation, additional knowledge is needed regarding what factors influence the process of EBP among practitioners. The purpose of the present study was to identify factors that influence the use of EBP and the experienced effects of the …


The Health Resilience Program - A Program Assessment, Keri B Vartanian, Sarah Tran, Bill J. Wright, Grace Li, Megan Holtorf, Michael Levinson Jan 2016

The Health Resilience Program - A Program Assessment, Keri B Vartanian, Sarah Tran, Bill J. Wright, Grace Li, Megan Holtorf, Michael Levinson

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.


Potentially Traumatic Experiences And Sexual Health Among Orphaned And Separated Adolescents In Five Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Christine L. Gray, Kathryn Whetten, Lynne C. Messer, Rachel A. Whetten, Jan Ostermann, Karen O'Donnell, Nathan M. Thielman, Brian W. Pence Jan 2016

Potentially Traumatic Experiences And Sexual Health Among Orphaned And Separated Adolescents In Five Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Christine L. Gray, Kathryn Whetten, Lynne C. Messer, Rachel A. Whetten, Jan Ostermann, Karen O'Donnell, Nathan M. Thielman, Brian W. Pence

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Orphans and separated children (OSC) are a vulnerable population whose numbers are increasing, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Over 153 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents, including 17 million orphaned by AIDS, and millions more have been separated from their parents. As younger orphans enter adolescence, their sexual health and HIV-related risk behaviors become key considerations for their overall health. Importantly, their high prevalence of exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) may put OSC at additional risk for adverse sexual health outcomes. The Positive Outcomes for Orphans study followed OSC randomly sampled from institution-based care and …


Improvement Of Under-Represented Minority Individuals In The Healthcare Field Of Communication Sciences And Disorders, Allison Webb Jan 2016

Improvement Of Under-Represented Minority Individuals In The Healthcare Field Of Communication Sciences And Disorders, Allison Webb

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

Individuals from under-represented minority backgrounds are scarce within healthcare careers. Former research has suggested that this lack of diversity begins at the undergraduate level. This proposal discusses a potential solution to this problem occurring at the University of Kentucky and other colleges across the United States. Suggested intervention targeted diverse populations, connected students with faculty and staff, and provided shadowing resources for individuals from under-represented minority backgrounds. Based on research and current diversity statistics, populations of individuals from diverse backgrounds are expected to increase within the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. Demographic information for the fall 2016 semester will become …


Barriers To Fistula Repair In Nigeria: A Formative Study, Population Council Jan 2016

Barriers To Fistula Repair In Nigeria: A Formative Study, Population Council

Reproductive Health

A formative research study was conducted in Nigeria to better understand the barriers and enabling factors for fistula repair care delivery and access. This brief presents results from a literature review conducted to identify and understand the delays in accessing and receiving treatment and corresponding barriers, to document interventions that help to overcome barriers, and to specify gaps in the literature that require further research. The report concludes that women’s concern over healing and reintegration reflects their expectation that the holistic approach of hospitals will bring them back to normal life incorporating physical, sexual, psychosocial, and economic rehabilitation. Awareness, financial, …


Strengthening Factory Health Systems Under Levi Strauss & Co.'S Worker Well-Being Initiative In Egypt, Population Council, The Evidence Project Jan 2016

Strengthening Factory Health Systems Under Levi Strauss & Co.'S Worker Well-Being Initiative In Egypt, Population Council, The Evidence Project

Reproductive Health

The pilot intervention described in this brief took place at an apparel manufacturing company, Lotus, located in Port Said, Egypt as part of the Worker Well-being Initiative. Worker Well-being is an initiative of Levi Strauss & Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation that seeks to move beyond a “do no harm” compliance model of labor rights in its global supply chain. The interventions in Egypt have contributed to the overall development of a health system–strengthening approach to private workplaces, which is a new concept for management. The work in Egypt contributed to a collaboration between the Evidence Project/RAISE Health and …


Think Before You Think, Christopher Monson Jan 2016

Think Before You Think, Christopher Monson

Quill & Scope

No abstract provided.


Rare Case Of Delayed Carotid Occlusion Secondary To Gunshot Fragments, Steven Shapiro Jan 2016

Rare Case Of Delayed Carotid Occlusion Secondary To Gunshot Fragments, Steven Shapiro

Quill & Scope

Cervical gunshot wounds are traumatic events with vascu-lar and neurological sequelae. These complications typical-ly arise within days to weeks of the initial trauma. There are few known case reports of vascular complications occur-ring decades after initial injury. Here we present the case of a patient with ischemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) distribution secondary to complete occlusion of the left common carotid from a penetrating gunshot wound 15 years prior to presentation.


Netter's Body, Lana Malekan Jan 2016

Netter's Body, Lana Malekan

Quill & Scope

No abstract provided.


North Minneapolis Residents' Knowledge And Awareness Of Indoor Air Quality In Older Residences, Blisse Marie Cajacob Jan 2016

North Minneapolis Residents' Knowledge And Awareness Of Indoor Air Quality In Older Residences, Blisse Marie Cajacob

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Older housing stock is one suspected cause of poor indoor air quality and poor indoor air quality can cause many negative health conditions. Four hazardous conditions related to indoor air quality were examined for this study: lead, asbestos, dampness causing mold and radon. North Minneapolis residents, specifically low-income, disproportionately live in older stock houses and have higher rates of asthma compared to other parts of the state. In this study, data was collected to understand North Minneapolis residents' knowledge and awareness of indoor air quality in older residences. Fifteen minute interviews followed by a brief sociodemographic questionnaire were used to …


Perceptions Of Female Sexual Pathology: The Role Of Racial Biases In Clinical Decision Making, Jerusha Sanjeevi Jan 2016

Perceptions Of Female Sexual Pathology: The Role Of Racial Biases In Clinical Decision Making, Jerusha Sanjeevi

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Diversity issues such as multicultural competence and sexual health competence have received increased but separate academic attention in recent years. Although empirical support has been found for the presence of racial biases in the diagnoses of mental health disorders, there is no evidence to date regarding the role of racial biases in the diagnoses of female sexual pathology. In the present study, 101 pre-doctoral psychology interns across the United States assessed the symptom severity of a fictional client via online vignettes in which client race was experimentally manipulated. Participants did not report significantly different symptom severity ratings between the vignettes …


Modeling Dementia Risk, Cognitive Change, Predictive Rules In Longitudinal Studies, Xiuhua Ding Jan 2016

Modeling Dementia Risk, Cognitive Change, Predictive Rules In Longitudinal Studies, Xiuhua Ding

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Dementia is increasing recognized as a major problem to public health worldwide. Prevention and treatment strategies are in critical need. Nowadays, research for dementia usually featured as complex longitudinal studies, which provide extensive information and also propose challenge to statistical methodology. The purpose of this dissertation research was to apply statistical methodology in the field of dementia to strengthen the understanding of dementia from three perspectives: 1) Application of statistical methodology to investigate the association between potential risk factors and incident dementia. 2) Application of statistical methodology to analyze changes over time, or trajectory, in cognitive tests and symptoms. 3) …


Does Breast Cancer Drive The Building Of Survival Probability Models Among States? An Assessment Of Goodness Of Fit For Patient Data From Seer Registries, Hafiz Mohammad Rafiqullah Khan, Anshul Saxena, Abhilash Perisetti, Aamrin Rafiq, Kemesha Gabbidon, Sarah Mende, Maria Lyuksyutova, Kandi Quesada, Summre Blakely, Tiffany Torres, Mahlet Afesse Jan 2016

Does Breast Cancer Drive The Building Of Survival Probability Models Among States? An Assessment Of Goodness Of Fit For Patient Data From Seer Registries, Hafiz Mohammad Rafiqullah Khan, Anshul Saxena, Abhilash Perisetti, Aamrin Rafiq, Kemesha Gabbidon, Sarah Mende, Maria Lyuksyutova, Kandi Quesada, Summre Blakely, Tiffany Torres, Mahlet Afesse

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Background:

Breast cancer is a worldwide public health concern and is the most prevalent type of cancer in women in the United States. This study concerned the best fit of statistical probability models on the basis of survival times for nine state cancer registries: California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington.

Materials and Methods:

A probability random sampling method was applied to select and extract records of 2,000 breast cancer patients from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database for each of the nine state cancer registries used in this study. EasyFit software was utilized …


Copd Exacerbation Biomarkers Validated Using Multiple Reaction Monitoring Mass Spectrometry, Janice M. Leung, Virginia Chen, Zsuzsanna Hollander, Darlene Dai, Scott J. Tebbutt, Shawn D. Aaron, Kathy L. Vandemheen, Stephen I. Rennard, J. Mark Fitzgerald, Prescott G. Woodruff, Stephen C. Lazarus, John E. Connett, Harvey O. Coxson, Bruce Miller, Christoph Borchers, Bruce M. Mcmanus, Raymond T. Ng, Don D. Sin Jan 2016

Copd Exacerbation Biomarkers Validated Using Multiple Reaction Monitoring Mass Spectrometry, Janice M. Leung, Virginia Chen, Zsuzsanna Hollander, Darlene Dai, Scott J. Tebbutt, Shawn D. Aaron, Kathy L. Vandemheen, Stephen I. Rennard, J. Mark Fitzgerald, Prescott G. Woodruff, Stephen C. Lazarus, John E. Connett, Harvey O. Coxson, Bruce Miller, Christoph Borchers, Bruce M. Mcmanus, Raymond T. Ng, Don D. Sin

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) result in considerable morbidity and mortality. However, there are no objective biomarkers to diagnose AECOPD.

METHODS: We used multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry to quantify 129 distinct proteins in plasma samples from patients with COPD. This analytical approach was first performed in a biomarker cohort of patients hospitalized with AECOPD (Cohort A, n = 72). Proteins differentially expressed between AECOPD and convalescent states were chosen using a false discovery rate < 0.01 and fold change >1.2. Protein selection and classifier building were performed using an elastic net logistic regression model. The performance of the biomarker panel …


Impact Of Parental Coaching On Childhood Obesity, Lizy Jimmy Johns Jan 2016

Impact Of Parental Coaching On Childhood Obesity, Lizy Jimmy Johns

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background- Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the United States (US) affecting 12.7 million children (CDC8, 2015), and costing the US $14.1 billion every year (Cawley, 2010). It also costs corporate America about $9 billion in direct costs (Adeagbo, 2015) and $4.3 billion in indirect costs for healthcare expenditures (Cawley, 2010). Studies suggest interventions implemented by employers involving the whole family are twice as effective as interventions with employees alone (Adeagbo, 2015). Methods- This quality improvement pilot study used a quasi-experimental pre and post study design in an outpatient employee health clinic to evaluate a coaching method for empowering parents …


Interventions In The Primary Care Setting Aimed At Improving The Rate Of Completion Of Advance Directives, D. Denise Goddard Jan 2016

Interventions In The Primary Care Setting Aimed At Improving The Rate Of Completion Of Advance Directives, D. Denise Goddard

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

The majority of people never discuss their choice of treatment in end-of-life issues and do not have an advance directive (AD). The cause may be due to the lack of organized efforts to achieve completion of ADs. This project used a quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design to determine if an educational intervention increased the completion of an AD. Project results showed that the combination of repeated written and verbal educational information about ADs provided via a primary care setting is an effective intervention to increase completion of ADs. A convenience sample revealed 14% of 90 primary care clinic patients had a …


Simple Approach For Ranking Structure Determining Residues, Oscar D. Luna-Martínez, Abraham Vidal-Limón, Miryam I. Villalba-Velázquez, Rosalba Sánchez-Alcalá, Ramón Garduño-Juárez, Vladimir N. Uversky, Baltazar Becerril Jan 2016

Simple Approach For Ranking Structure Determining Residues, Oscar D. Luna-Martínez, Abraham Vidal-Limón, Miryam I. Villalba-Velázquez, Rosalba Sánchez-Alcalá, Ramón Garduño-Juárez, Vladimir N. Uversky, Baltazar Becerril

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Mutating residues has been a common task in order to study structural properties of the protein of interest. Here, we propose and validate a simple method that allows the identification of structural determinants; i.e., residues essential for preservation of the stability of global structure, regardless of the protein topology. This method evaluates all of the residues in a 3D structure of a given globular protein by ranking them according to their connectivity and movement restrictions without topology constraints. Our results matched up with sequence-based predictors that look up for intrinsically disordered segments, suggesting that protein disorder can also be described …


A Widely Employed Germ Cell Marker Is An Ancient Disordered Protein With Reproductive Functions In Diverse Eukaryotes, Michelle A. Carmell, Gregoriy A. Dokshin, Helen Skaletsky, Yueh-Chiang Hu, Josien C. Van Wolfswinkel, Kyomi J. Igarashi, Daniel W. Bellott, Michael Nefedov, Peter W. Reddien, George C. Enders, Vladimir N. Uversky, Craig C. Mello, David C. Page Jan 2016

A Widely Employed Germ Cell Marker Is An Ancient Disordered Protein With Reproductive Functions In Diverse Eukaryotes, Michelle A. Carmell, Gregoriy A. Dokshin, Helen Skaletsky, Yueh-Chiang Hu, Josien C. Van Wolfswinkel, Kyomi J. Igarashi, Daniel W. Bellott, Michael Nefedov, Peter W. Reddien, George C. Enders, Vladimir N. Uversky, Craig C. Mello, David C. Page

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

The advent of sexual reproduction and the evolution of a dedicated germline in multicellular organisms are critical landmarks in eukaryotic evolution. We report an ancient family of GCNA (germ cell nuclear antigen) proteins that arose in the earliest eukaryotes, and feature a rapidly evolving intrinsically disordered region (IDR). Phylogenetic analysis reveals that GCNA proteins emerged before the major eukaryotic lineages diverged; GCNA predates the origin of a dedicated germline by a billion years. Gcna gene expression is enriched in reproductive cells across eukarya – either just prior to or during meiosis in single-celled eukaryotes, and in stem cells and germ …