Diseases Commons^™

Stress Experienced By Respite Care Workers And Family Caregivers When Caring For Alzheimer's Patients, Monica D. Minewiser

Theses & Dissertations

Changing demographics and cost containment in health care in caring for the Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patient has given birth to a growing need for respite care workers. The purpose of the study was to determine whether the stress level of a respite care worker who works with an AD patient in a noninstitutionalized setting on a daily basis will be significantly less than that of a family caregiver when caring for an AD patient. The Revised Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (RMBPC) was the instrument used to measure stress. This is a questionnaire consisting of 24 questions and allows 5 …

A Preclinical Model Of Ionizing Radiation And Tnf-Alpha Gene Therapy For Cancer, Jun Li

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Long term control of high-grade brain tumors is rarely achieved with current therapeutic regimens. This study sought to determine if pretreatment with plasmid DNA expressing Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) could enhance the effect of ionizing radiation in an aggressive, rapidly growing glioma tumor (C6) model. Plasmid DNA is an attractive vector system for delivery of foreign genes into eukaryotic cells due to its advantages including low immunogenicity in vivo, lesser toxicity and relatively low cost. We have constructed a plasmid-based mammalian expression vector (pGL1-TNF) to secrete human TNF-α from cancer cells. Plasmid DNA was successfully transfected into C6 cells …

Family And Child Psychosocial Functioning Of Infant Heart Transplant Recipients, Kimberly R. Freeman

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

With the advancement of medical procedures, heart transplantation has become a viable alternative for infants born with congenital or acquired heart disease. Although these children are thought to experience much improvement in their overall physical functioning post-transplantation, the long-term psychological functioning of these children and their families is currently unknown. This study examines the long-term family functioning and psychosocial development of infant heart transplant recipients in comparison to children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and non-clinical control children. Results indicate that infant heart transplant recipients and their families experience fewer overall problems as compared to the CHD group, and more …

Gastric Carcinoma With Lymphoid Stroma: Association With Epstein Virus Genome Demonstrated By Pcr, Irshad N. Soomro, Samina Noorali, Syed Abdul Aziz, Suhail Muzaffar, Shahid Pervez, Akbar S. Hussainy, Tariq Moatter

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

No abstract provided.

Immune Responses Induced By Gene Gun Or Intramuscular Injection Of Dna Vaccines That Express Immunogenic Regions Of The Serine Repeat Antigen From Plasmodium Falciparum, Alexia A. Belperron, David Feltquate, Barbara A. Fox, Toshihiro Horii, David J. Bzik

Dartmouth Scholarship

The liver- and blood-stage-expressed serine repeat antigen (SERA) of Plasmodium falciparum is a candidate protein for a human malaria vaccine. We compared the immune responses induced in mice immunized with SERA-expressing plasmid DNA vaccines delivered by intramuscular (i.m.) injection or delivered intradermally by Gene Gun immunization. Mice were immunized with a pcdna3 plasmid encoding the entire 47-kDa domain of SERA (amino acids 17 to 382) or the N-terminal domain (amino acids 17 to 110) of SERA. Minimal antibody responses were detected following DNA vaccination with the N-terminal domain of SERA, suggesting that the N-terminal domain alone is not highly immunogenic …

A Study On The Effects Of The N-Terminal Amino Acid Sequence On The Activation Of Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Protease, Hidayah Muhammad Kendall

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTL V-1) is dependent upon the enzymatic activity of its protease for maturation. Maturation of the protease is facilitated by cleavage of specific amino acid residues, followed by dimerization. The effects of the amino acid sequence located N-terminally to the cleavage site on the ability of the protease to become active were the focus of the current study. These amino acid sequences were contributed by the plasmid vector into which the protease gene was inserted.

Surface probability analyses (SPAs) of the vectors, as well as for native sequences which produce the mature protease and …

Neuronal And Metabolic Increases In Pedunculopontine Nucleus Of Parkinson's Rats, Jonathan Dennis Carlson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The theoretical mechanisms underlying the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are based on dysfunctional output from the basal ganglia projected to the cortex via the thalamus. However, the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and substantia nigra pars reticularis (SNr) as part of the basal ganglia, also project to the brainstem, in particular to the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN). Both the STN and SNr have altered neuronal activity in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) Parkinson’s model rat. Thus, it is hypothesized that the PPN is altered in this model of Parkinson’s disease.

This hypothesis was examined by comparing the rates of glucose metabolism and spontaneous neuronal activity …

Spectrum Of Hodgkin's Disease In Children And Adults: Impact Of Combined Morphologic And Phenotypic Approach For Exclusion Of Look-Alikes, Tanya Siddiqui, Shahid Pervez

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective:

To determine the prevalence of Hodgkin’s disease (HD) and its various subtypes in children and adults and assess the use of immunohistochemical (IHC) studies in confirming HD cases and excluding its close mimicries/look-alikes.

Material and Methods:

All 265 Hodgkin’s disease cases diagnosed at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi over the last 6 years (July 1991 - July 1997) were included. Of these 219 were diagnosed on routine H&E examination while in the remaining 46 cases, diagnosis was made after a thorough IHC workup. (This group initially included 161 cases labelled as lymphoproliferative disorder with HD as one of …

Research To Practice: Working It Out: Workplace Experiences Of Individuals With Hiv And Individuals With Cancer, Sheila Fesko

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

This brief describes the experiences of individuals with these illnesses, underlines similarities and differences between the two groups, and provides strategies for disclosure, support, and personal advocacy in the workplace.

Standardization Of An Immunoassay For The Detection Of Antibodies To B2 Glycoprotein-I, Eric N. Erickson Jr.

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is an evolving autoimmune disease with numerous clinical manifestations. APS occurs in two forms: Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome (PAPS) and secondarily in association with other autoimmune disorders such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE). In the brief period since its discovery as a cofactor for anticardiolipin antibodies, p1-glycoprotein I (�GPI; apolipoprotein H) has been recognized as the autoantigen in the absence of anionic phospholipid when appropriately presented to human autoantibodies. Recent studies suggest that this presentation requires the surface-dependent unmasking of a cryptic epitope. Immunoassays of autoantibodies directed against p1GPI, developed through the application of suitable polymeric matrices, may …

Core-Binding Factor Influences The Disease Specificity Of Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus, Amy F. Lewis, Terryl Stacy, William R. Green, Lekidelu Taddesse-Heath, Janet W. Hartley, Nancy A. Speck

Dartmouth Scholarship

The core site in the Moloney murine leukemia virus (Moloney MLV) enhancer was previously shown to be an important determinant of the T-cell disease specificity of the virus. Mutation of the core site resulted in a significant shift in disease specificity of the Moloney virus from T-cell leukemia to erythroleukemia. We and others have since determined that a protein that binds the core site, one of the core-binding factors (CBF) is highly expressed in thymus and is essential for hematopoiesis. Here we test the hypothesis that CBF plays a critical role in mediating pathogenesis of Moloney MLV in vivo. We …

Shaping Responsible Behavior: Lessons From The Aids Front, Harlon L. Dalton

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.

Antitumor Effect Of Il-2, P53, And Bax Naked Gene Transfer In C6 Glioma Cells, Peyman Haghighat

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

[Abstract not included]

Media Coverage Of Epa's Draft Dioxin Reassessment Report, Sharon M. Friedman, Megan A. Fitzpatrick, Brenda P. Egolf

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Using content analysis, the authors examine the utility of news media in democratic decision making.

Attachment Ligands Of Viable Toxoplasma Gondii Induce Soluble Immunosuppressive Factors In Human Monocytes, Jacqueline Y. Channon, Edward I. Suh, Rosanne M. Seguin, Lloyd H. Kasper

Dartmouth Scholarship

Previous studies have demonstrated that surface antigen proteins, in particular SAG-1, of Toxoplasma gondii are important to this parasite as attachment ligands for the host cell. An in vitro assay was developed to test whether these ligands and other secretory proteins are involved in the immune response of human cells to toxoplasma. Human monocytes were infected with tachyzoites in the presence of antiparasite antibodies, and their effect on mitogen-induced lymphoproliferation was examined. The presence of antibody to either parasite-excreted proteins (MIC-1 and MIC-2) or surface proteins (SAG-1 and SAG-2) during infection neutralized the marked decrease seen in mitogen-induced lymphoproliferation in …

Tb Or Not Tb: Disease And The Adaptiveness Of Political Borders, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes adaptive and nonadaptive aspects of political borders at the threshold of the 21st century.

Breaking The Rules: A Rebuttal Of Normal-Tension Glaucoma, David Brey

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Glaucoma is a disease of the eyes generally characterized by high intraocular pressure, optic nerve death, and visual loss. Open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma are the two main forms of the disease However, there is one form of open angle glaucoma that cannot be described by the above abnormalities. This form is known as normal-tension glaucoma, and while it is characterized by optic nerve death and visual loss, it does not display an abnormally high intraocular pressure. Indeed, as this thesis argues, normal-tension glaucoma should not be labeled as a glaucoma disease at all.

Role Of Gamma Interferon In Cellular Immune Response Against Murine Encephalitozoon Cuniculi Infection, Imtiaz A. Khan, Magali Moretto

Dartmouth Scholarship

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites that cause a wide variety of opportunistic infection in patients with AIDS. Because it is able to grow in vitro, Encephalitozoon cuniculi is currently the best-studied microsporidian. T cells mediate protective immunity against this parasite. Splenocytes obtained from infected mice proliferate in vitro in response to irradiated parasites. A transient state of hyporesponsiveness to parasite antigen and mitogen was observed at day 17 postinfection. This downregulatory response could be partially reversed by addition of nitric oxide (NO) antagonist to the culture. Mice infected withE. cuniculi secrete significant levels of gamma interferon (IFN-γ). Treatment …

Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 1998, Stacey Gunter

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Isolation Of Trypanosoma Brucei From The Monitor Lizard (Varanus Niloticus) In An Endemic Focus Of Rhodesian Sleeping Sickness In Kenya, Zipporah Njagu, Steve Mihok, Elizabeth Kokwaro, Didier Verloo

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Monitor lizards were sampled along the shores of Lake Victoria to detect natural infections of potentially human-infective trypanosomes. In an area with endemic rhodesian sleeping sickness, one of 19 lizards was infected (Busia, Kenya). Six of ten lizards also showed indirect evidence of infection with Trypanosoma brucei (antibody ELISA). In an area with no recent history of human disease (Rusinga Island), no parasites were found and no antibodies to T. brucei were detected. The isolate was identified as T. brucei through xenodiagnosis (completion of the life cycle in the salivary glands of tsetse), and through molecular techniques (positive reactions with …

Trypanosome Infection Rate In Cattle At Nguruman, Kenya, R. A. Tarimo-Nesbitt, T. K. Golder, R. D. Dransfield, M. F. Chaudhury, R. Brightwell

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Trypanosome infection rate in cattle at Nguruman was investigated in a study conducted in 1984-1986. Shifting pastoralism significantly reduced trypanosome infections in cattle. The cattle were more heavily infected with Trypanosoma congolense (16.5%) than Trypanosoma vivax (4.95%) and Trypanosoma brucei (0.19%). Trypanosoma theileri was observed only once among the cattle examined. Mixed trypanosome infections in cattle were observed to be 2.75% and 0.014% for T. congolense/T. vivax and T. congolense/T. brucei, respectively. The duration of infection in the cattle was 55 days for T. congolense and 79 days for T. vivax. High infections in cattle were observed 2 months after …

Heterosexuality, Condoms, And Political Destabilization In Africa, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes psychosocial factors linked to condom use and the political implications of not maintaining this linkage.

Fas-Fasl Interaction Involved In Pathogenesis Of Ocular Toxoplasmosis In Mice, Mark S. Hu, Joseph D. Schwartzman, Grant R. Yeaman, Jane Collins, Rosanne Seguin, Imtiaz A. Khan, Lloyd H. Kasper

Dartmouth Scholarship

Ocular toxoplasmosis is a potentially blinding intraocular inflammation. The intent of this study was to investigate the role of Fas-FasL interaction in a murine model of acquired ocular toxoplasmosis induced by intracameral inoculation of Toxoplasma gondii. Intraocular inflammation, Fas and FasL expression on lymphocytes and on ocular tissues, the occurrence of apoptosis, and the frequency of CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells in the infected eyes were analyzed in C57BL/6 (B6) mice. Susceptibility to parasite-induced intraocular inflammation was observed in Fas-deficient (B6-lpr) and FasL-deficient (B6-gld) mice. Inoculation of 5,000 T. gondii tachyzoites induced significant …

Antiretroviral Cytolytic T-Lymphocyte Nonresponsiveness: Fasl/Fas-Mediated Inhibition Of Cd4+ And Cd8+ Antiviral T Cells By Viral Antigen-Positive Veto Cells, Robert F. Rich, William R. Green

Dartmouth Scholarship

C57BL/6 (H-2^b ) mice generate type-specific cytolytic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses to an immunodominant K^b-restricted epitope, KSPWFTTL located in the membrane-spanning domain of p15TM of AKR/Gross murine leukemia viruses (MuLV). AKR.H-2^b congenic mice, although carrying the responder H-2^b major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotype, are low responders or nonresponders for AKR/Gross MuLV-specific CTL, apparently due to the presence of inhibitory AKR.H-2^b cells. Despite their expression of viral antigens and K^b, untreated viable AKR.H-2^b spleen cells cause dramatic inhibition of the C57BL/6 (B6) antiviral CTL response to in vitro stimulation with AKR/Gross MuLV-induced …

A Review Of The Anticoagulant Pesticide Pindone, Laurie E. Twigg, Tim J. Lowe, Gary R. Martin, Garry S. Gray

Books & book chapters

A review of the use of pindone for rabbit control in Western Australia is timely due to increased public concern over the use of this toxin, and because non-target deaths of some native Australian animals have been known to occur following its use. Pindone is one of the first generation indandione anticoagulant rodenticides which were developed in the late 1940' s. The toxicity of anticoagulants arises from their inhibition of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors in the blood. Thus therapeutic administration of vitamin K provides a reliable antidote against anticoagulant poisoning. Pindone is slow acting and works best with repeated small …

Eradicating Virulent Footrot From Western Australia, R K. Mitchell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Western Australia has a unique opportunity to eradicate virulent footrot from the State's sheep flock, with only 62 properties or 0.6 per cent of sheep properties currently in quarantine. The majority of Western Australian flocks are now free of virulent footrot, with targeted on-farm and abattoir surveillance used to detect the remaining properties affected by the disease. Bob Mitchell reports on how farmers, industry, and government are working together, with research playing an important part in the eradication campaign.

Molecular Composition Of The Louse Sheath, Craig N. Burkhart, B Artur Stankiewicz, Irene Pchalek, Michael A. Kruge, Craig G. Burkhart

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Flash pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to assess the chemical composition of the head louse's nit sheath. The pyrolyzate of the female insect's secretions, which form a cement-like cylinder holding the egg onto the hair, is dominated by amino acid derivatives and fatty acids. No chitin-specific compounds were detected in the sheath. These results, contrary to previous reports, show that the polymeric complex of the sheath is composed of proteinaceous moieties, possibly cross-linked to aliphatic components. This study constitutes the first chemical characterization of the pyrolysis products of insect (louse) glue and unequivocally confirms that louse sheaths are not chitinous, …

Screening For Eating Disorders Utilizing The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Roseann M. Woodka

Dissertations

Problem

Eating disorders, in the form of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, have been recognized as significant mental-health issues for the last three decades, and the incidence is rising as we approach the new millennium. Currently, many women who come into a mental-health setting due to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship issues, sexual issues, etc., are also struggling with eating-disordered behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. These behaviors, thoughts, and feelings may remain well hidden from the counselor throughout the course of therapy or until they become severe and more difficult to treat. Because eating disorders are very complex involving psychological, physical, …

Reversible Nonthrombocytopenic Palpable Purpura Associated With Metoclopramide, Jeffery A. Goad

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of reversible nonthrombocytopenic palpable purpura associated with metoclopramide.

CASE SUMMARY: A 72-year-old white man was admitted for worsening palpable purpura over a two-day period. Two days prior to admission, metoclopramide 10 mg orally three times per day was started for a gastrointestinal condition. Upon admission, all drugs were continued except metoclopramide. Over the next two days, the purpura began to resolve. Platelet count was within normal limits on admission and the patient developed no serious consequences because of the purpura.

DISCUSSION: According to the literature, reversible nonthrombocytopenic palpable purpura has not been …

Clinostomum Marginatum (Yellow Grub) Metacercaris In Black Bass From The Caddo River In West Arkansas, James J. Daly Jr., H. Michael Matthews, Randal J. Keller, James J. Daly

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Seventy-two bass (Micropterus-spp.), mostly smallmouth, were collected from three areas of the Caddo River in west Arkansas and examined for the presence of Clinostomum marginatum metacercariae. Prevalence, mean abundance, and abundance for all fish were 68%, and 4.2 ±6.5, and 30, respectively. Fish from the upstream area near the headwaters were more heavily infested than those from further downstream. A gill/total body larval ratio of seven, was found for bass from another Arkansas stream, was examined as a predictor for total Clinostomum populations instream bass. Using the formula gill parasites X seven divided by N(72), a value of 3.3 was …