Medical Specialties Commons^™

Emotional Expression During Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders Treatment: Initial Assessment Of Treatment Effects., Christopher J. Kratochvil, D. Faries, Brigette S. Vaughan, A. Perwien, J. Busner, K. Saylor, S. Kaplan, C. Buermeyer, R. Swindle

Journal Articles: Psychiatry

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research was to provide an initial examination of the effects of atomoxetine and stimulants on emotional expression using a newly developed scale for assessing emotional expression in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

METHOD: The parent-rated Expression and Emotion Scale for Children (EESC) was collected during two studies. During a cross-sectional validation study, the EESC was completed to assess the child's current treatment and retrospectively for previous medication. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of atomoxetine, the EESC was collected at baseline and endpoint.

RESULTS: In the validation study, no statistically significant differences in EESC scores were …

Jefferson Scale Of Patient's Perceptions Of Physician Empathy: Preliminary Psychometric Data., Gregory C. Kane, Joanne L. Gotto, Salvatore Mangione, Susan West, Mohammadreza Hojat

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

AIM: To develop a brief scale for measuring patient's perceptions of their physician's empathic engagement and to provide preliminary evidence in support of aspects of the scale's psychometrics.

METHOD: Study comprised 225 patients, out of 436 patients (52% response rate) seen by 166 residents in the internal medicine residency program at the Jefferson Hospital Ambulatory Clinic as part of their ambulatory training at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. A 5-item questionnaire entitled the Jefferson Scale of Patient's Perceptions of Physician Empathy was developed and administered to the study participants. Its factor structure, item-total score correlations, and correlations with several relevant criterion …

The Interplay Of Obesity And Asthma, James Plumb, Rickie Brawer, Nancy Brisbon

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

The relationships, interactions, and association between obesity and asthma are complex, and are active sources of hypotheses and research. An association between obesity and asthma has been reported in many studies, although considerable debate about the existence of the association and its meaning still exists. Potential associative relationships may result from genetics, immune system modifications, and mechanical mechanisms. The rising prevalence of asthma and obesity in children and adults, and the significant morbidity from both, makes it imperative that clinicians recognize the importance of weight management in patients with and without asthma.

Frequency Of Primary Solid Malignant Neoplasms In Both Sexes, As Seen In Our Practice, Zubair Ahmad, Najamul Sahar Azad, Nausheen Yaqoob, Akhtar Husain, Aamir Ahsan, Ambreen Nasir Khan, Rashida Ahmed, Naila Kayani, Shahid Pervez, Sheema H. Hassan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: To determine the frequency of various histologic types of primary solid malignant neoplasms in males and females, in our practice, in a large series of surgical biopdies.

Method: A retrospective study of 20,000 consecutive surgical biopsies in the section of Histopathology, Aga Khan University Hospital (AKU), Karachi, in 2004.

Results: Squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity was the commonest malignant neoplasm in males followed by diffuse Large B cell, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Prostatic adenocarcinoma. In females, infiltrating Ductal carcinoma of the breast was overwhelmingly the commonest malignant neoplasm followed by Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and esophagus. …

Homocysteine Levels In Preterm Infants: Is There An Association With Intraventricular Hemorrhage? A Prospective Cohort Study., Wendy J Sturtz, Kathleen H Leef, Amy B Mackley, Shailja Sharma, Teodoro Bottiglieri, David A Paul

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to characterize total homocysteine (tHcy) levels at birth in preterm and term infants and identify associations with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and other neonatal outcomes such as mortality, sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and thrombocytopenia. METHODS: 123 infants < 32 weeks gestation admitted to our Level III nursery were enrolled. A group of 25 term infants were enrolled for comparison. Two blood spots collected on filter paper with admission blood drawing were analyzed by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Statistical analysis included ANOVA, Spearman's Rank Order Correlation and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: The median tHcy was 2.75 micromol/L with an interquartile range of 1.34 - 4.96 micromol/L. There was no difference between preterm and term tHcy (median 2.76, IQR 1.25 - 4.8 micromol/L vs median 2.54, IQR 1.55 - 7.85 micromol/L, p = 0.07). There was no statistically significant difference in tHcy in 31 preterm infants with IVH compared to infants without IVH (median 1.96, IQR 1.09 - 4.35 micromol/L vs median 2.96, IQR 1.51 - 4.84 micromol/L, p = 0.43). There was also no statistically significant difference in tHcy in 7 infants with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) compared to infants without PVL (median 1.55, IQR 0.25 - 3.45 micromol/L vs median 2.85, IQR 1.34 - 4.82 micromol/L, p = 0.07). Male infants had lower tHcy compared to female; prenatal steroids were associated with a higher tHcy. CONCLUSION: In our population of preterm infants, there is no association between IVH and tHcy. Male gender, prenatal steroids and preeclampsia were associated with differences in tHcy levels.

Acute And Chronic Methylphenidate Dose-Response Assessment On Three Adolescent Male Rat Strains, Pamela B Yang, Alan C Swann, Nachum Dafny

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Methylphenidate (MPD), commonly known as Ritalin, is the most frequently prescribed drug to treat children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Adolescence is a period of development involving numerous neuroplasticities throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Exposure to a psychostimulant such as MPD during this crucial period of neurodevelopment may cause transient or permanent changes in the CNS. Genetic variability may also influence these differences. Thus, the objective of the present study was to determine whether acute and chronic administration of MPD (0.6, 2.5, or 10.0mg/kg, i.p.) elicit effects among adolescent WKY, SHR, and SD rats and to …

Atomoxetine Treatment In Children And Adolescents With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: What Are The Long-Term Health-Related Quality-Of-Life Outcomes?, Amy R. Perwien, Christopher J. Kratochvil, Douglas E. Faries, Brigette S. Vaughan, Thomas Spencer, Ronald T. Brown

Journal Articles: Psychiatry

OBJECTIVE: Numerous investigations have examined the efficacy of pharmacological treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. However, relatively few studies have addressed the impact of treatment on long-term subjective, psychosocial outcomes, such as health-related quality of life (HRQL). This study examines the long-term effects of pharmacological treatment with atomoxetine on HRQL in children and adolescents with ADHD.

METHODS: Participants included 6- to 17-year-old children and adolescents (n = 912) with ADHD enrolled in a 24-month, multicenter, open-label trial of atomoxetine. Outcomes included clinician ratings of ADHD, parent ratings of ADHD, and a widely used measure of HRQL (The Child Health …

Treatment For Adolescents With Depression Study (Tads): Safety Results., Graham Emslie, Christopher J. Kratochvil, Benedetto Vitiello, Susan Silva, Taryn Mayes, Steven Mcnulty, Elizabeth Weller, Bruce Waslick, Charles Casat, John Walkup, Sanjeev Pathak, Paul Rohde, Kelly Posner, John March, The Columbia Suicidality Classification Group, Tads Team

Journal Articles: Psychiatry

OBJECTIVE: To compare the rates of physical, psychiatric, and suicide-related events in adolescents with MDD treated with fluoxetine alone (FLX), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), combination treatment (COMB), or placebo (PBO).

METHOD: Safety assessments included adverse events (AEs) collected by spontaneous report, as well as systematic measures for specific physical and psychiatric symptoms. Suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior were systematically assessed by self- and clinician reports. Suicidal events were also reanalyzed by the Columbia Group and expert raters using the Columbia-Classification Algorithm for Suicidal Assessment used in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reclassification effort.

RESULTS: Depressed adolescents reported high rates of …

Patient Education In Glaucoma: What Do Patients Know About Glaucoma?, Vital Paulino Costa, George L Spaeth, Maura Smith, Cordelia Uddoh, José Paulo Cabral Vasconcellos, Newton Kara-José

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To evaluate the knowledge glaucoma patients have about their disease and its treatment.

METHODS: One hundred and eighty-three patients were interviewed at the Glaucoma Service of Wills Eye Hospital (Philadelphia, USA, Group 1) and 100 at the Glaucoma Service of University of Campinas (Campinas, Brazil, Group 2). An informal, relaxed atmosphere was created by the interviewer before asking a list of 18 open-ended questions.

RESULTS: In Group 1, 44% of the 183 patients did not have an acceptable idea about what glaucoma is, 30% did not know the purpose of the medications they were taking, 47% were not aware …

Effects Of A Personified Guide On Adherence To An Online Program For Alcohol Abusers., Daniel Z Lieberman

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

The quality of the therapeutic alliance has robust effects on the outcome of psychotherapy and psychopharmacologic interventions. Automated behavioral health programs that are being developed to increase access to mental health treatment are administered in the absence of direct human participation, thereby precluding the development of a traditional therapeutic relationship. The aim of this study was to develop a personified guide designed to stimulate reactions similar to those experienced in a therapeutic relationship, and evaluate the effect of the guide on adherence to and satisfaction with an online alcohol use evaluation program. After completing a battery of four standard questionnaires …

Treatment Evolution In High-Risk Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: Ten Years' Experience With Diaphragmatic Agenesis, Kevin P Lally, Pamela A Lally, Krisa P Van Meurs, Desmond J Bohn, Carl F Davis, Bradley Rodgers, Jatinder Bhatia, Golde Dudell

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of newer therapies on the highest risk patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), those with agenesis of the diaphragm.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: CDH remains a significant cause of neonatal mortality. Many novel therapeutic interventions have been used in these infants. Those children with large defects or agenesis of the diaphragm have the highest mortality and morbidity.

METHODS: Twenty centers from 5 countries collected data prospectively on all liveborn infants with CDH over a 10-year period. The treatment and outcomes in these patients were examined. Patients were followed until death …

Time To Renal Disease And End-Stage Renal Disease In Profile: A Multiethnic Lupus Cohort, Graciela S. Alarcón, Gerald Mcgwin, Michelle Petri, Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman, Barri J. Fessler, Luis M. Vilá, Jeffrey C. Edberg, John D. Reveille, Robert P. Kimberly

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Renal involvement is a serious manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); it may portend a poor prognosis as it may lead to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The purpose of this study was to determine the factors predicting the development of renal involvement and its progression to ESRD in a multi-ethnic SLE cohort (PROFILE).

METHODS AND FINDINGS: PROFILE includes SLE patients from five different United States institutions. We examined at baseline the socioeconomic-demographic, clinical, and genetic variables associated with the development of renal involvement and its progression to ESRD by univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Analyses of …

Endocarditis And Biofilm-Associated Pili Of Enterococcus Faecalis, Sreedhar R Nallapareddy, Kavindra V Singh, Jouko Sillanpää, Danielle A Garsin, Magnus Höök, Stanley L Erlandsen, Barbara E Murray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Increasing multidrug resistance in Enterococcus faecalis, a nosocomial opportunist and common cause of bacterial endocarditis, emphasizes the need for alternative therapeutic approaches such as immunotherapy or immunoprophylaxis. In an earlier study, we demonstrated the presence of antibodies in E. faecalis endocarditis patient sera to recombinant forms of 9 E. faecalis cell wall-anchored proteins; of these, we have now characterized an in vivo-expressed locus of 3 genes and an associated sortase gene (encoding sortase C; SrtC). Here, using mutation analyses and complementation, we demonstrated that both the ebp (encoding endocarditis and biofilm-associated pili) operon and srtC are important for biofilm production …

Cell-Cycle Regulatory Proteins In The Podocyte In Collapsing Glomerulopathy In Children., Tarak Srivastava, Robert E. Garola, H K. Singh

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Podocyte is a terminally committed cell in G1 arrest of cell cycle, and is unable to overcome G1/S transition phase in children with minimal change disease (MCD) and classic focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), in contrast to dysregulated proliferative phenotype of idiopathic collapsing glomerulopathy (CGN) in adults. Forty-two kidney biopsies, MCD (14), FSGS (12), CGN (4), and normal (CON) (12), were evaluated by immunohistochemistry using dual staining for expression of p27, p21, and p57, and cyclins D and A, in podocytes of children with CGN. On light microscopy, all podocytes expressed p27, whereas p21 and p57 expression was seen in a …

Dissociation Of Automatic And Strategic Lexical-Semantics: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evidence For Differing Roles Of Multiple Frontotemporal Regions, Brian T. Gold, David A. Balota, Sara J. Jones, David K. Powell, Charles D. Smith, Anders H. Andersen

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Behavioral research has demonstrated three major components of the lexical-semantic processing system: automatic activation of semantic representations, strategic retrieval of semantic representations, and inhibition of competitors. However, these component processes are inherently conflated in explicit lexical-semantic decision tasks typically used in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research. Here, we combine the logic of behavioral priming studies and the neurophysiological phenomenon of fMRI priming to dissociate the neural bases of automatic and strategic lexical-semantic processes across a series of three studies. A single lexical decision task was used in all studies, with stimulus onset asynchrony or linguistic relationship between prime and …

Depression, Sensation Seeking, And Maternal Smoking As Predictors Of Adolescent Cigarette Smoking, Judy Van De Venne, Kay Bradford, Catherine A. Martin, Megan Cox, Hatim A. Omar

Family Sciences Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine maternal and adolescent depression, maternal and teen sensation seeking, and maternal smoking, and their associations with adolescent smoking. Data were collected from a sample of 47 male and 66 female adolescents (ages 11-18 years) and their mothers from three different health clinics. The findings indicated that maternal sensation seeking was linked indirectly with adolescent smoking through teen sensation seeking, both of which were significantly associated with teen smoking (β = 0.29, p < 0.001 and β = 0.32, p < 0.001, respectively). Teen depression was associated positively with teen smoking (β = 0.24, p < 0.01) when controlling for sensation seeking behaviors. Maternal smoking was also directly linked to adolescent smoking (β = 0.20, p < 0.05). These findings underscore a potentially important role of sensation seeking in the origins of adolescent smoking, and clarify pathways of influence with regard to maternal attitudes and behaviors in subsequent teenage nicotine use.

A Pilot Study: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Sensation Seeking, And Pubertal Changes, Catherine A. Martin, Greg Guenthner, Christopher Bingcang, W. Jackson Smith, Thomas E. Curry, Hatim A. Omar, Mary Kay Rayens, Tom H. Kelly

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

This study was designed to examine the relationship of pubertal changes and sensation seeking (SS) in adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Patients with current or past histories of uncomplicated stimulant medication use for ADHD between the ages of 11 and 15 (13 ± 1.5) were recruited from a Child Psychiatry and a General Pediatric Clinic. SS was measured using the SS Scale for Children. Pubertal development was measured using Tanner staging, free testosterone, and DHEAS. Subjects and their parent were interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC). SS total score was correlated with Tanner stage, free …

Molecular Diagnosis Of Burkitt's Lymphoma., Sandeep S. Dave, Kai Fu, George W. Wright, Lloyd T. Lam, Philip Kluin, Evert-Jan Boerma, Timothy Greiner, Dennis D. Weisenburger, Andreas Rosenwald, German Ott, Hans-Konrad Müller-Hermelink, Randy D. Gascoyne, Jan Delabie, Lisa M. Rimsza, Rita M. Braziel, Thomas M. Grogan, Elias Campo, Elaine S. Jaffe, Bhavana J. Dave, Warren Sanger, M Bast, Julie M. Vose, James O. Armitage, Joseph M. Connors, Erlend B. Smeland, Stein Kvaloy, Harald Holte, Richard I. Fisher, Thomas P. Miller, Emilio Montserrat, Wyndham H. Wilson, Manisha Bahl, Hong Zhao, Liming Yang, John Powell, Richard Simon, Wing C. Chan, Louis M. Staudt

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

BACKGROUND: The distinction between Burkitt's lymphoma and diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma is crucial because these two types of lymphoma require different treatments. We examined whether gene-expression profiling could reliably distinguish Burkitt's lymphoma from diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma.

METHODS: Tumor-biopsy specimens from 303 patients with aggressive lymphomas were profiled for gene expression and were also classified according to morphology, immunohistochemistry, and detection of the t(8;14) c-myc translocation.

RESULTS: A classifier based on gene expression correctly identified all 25 pathologically verified cases of classic Burkitt's lymphoma. Burkitt's lymphoma was readily distinguished from diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma by the high level of expression of c-myc target …

Spontaneous Intracranial Arterial Dissection In The Young: Diagnosis By Ct Angiography, William C. Robertson, Curtis A. Given

Neurology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous carotid artery dissections have been rarely reported in children. Diagnosis has traditionally been confirmed by catheter arteriography. More recently diagnosis has been made by magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography; however the sensitivity of these techniques has yet to be determined. The authors are unaware of reports of carotid dissection confirmed by dynamic computed tomography (computerized tomographic arteriography) in the young.

CASE PRESENTATION: We recently evaluated a fourteen year-old male following the development of transient neurologic symptoms. There was no antecedent illness or trauma. Dynamic computed tomography revealed an intracranial dissection involving the supraclinoid segment of the …

Na+/K+ -Atpase Regulates Tight Junction Formation And Function During Mouse Preimplantation Development., Michelle I Violette, Pavneesh Madan, Andrew J Watson

Obstetrics & Gynaecology Publications

Research applied to the early embryo is required to effectively treat human infertility and to understand the primary mechanisms controlling development to the blastocyst stage. The present study investigated whether the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase regulates tight junction formation and function during blastocyst formation. To investigate this hypothesis, three experimental series were conducted. The first experiments defined the optimal dose and treatment time intervals for ouabain (a potent and specific inhibitor of the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase) treatment. The results demonstrated that mouse embryos maintained a normal development to the blastocyst stage following a 6-h ouabain treatment. The second experiments investigated the effects of ouabain treatment …

Resident Efficiency In A Pediatric Emergency Department., M Denise Dowd, Celeste Tarantino, Theodore M. Barnett, Laura Fitzmaurice, Jane F. Knapp

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: To measure the hourly rate of patients evaluated and treated by resident physicians in an academic pediatric emergency department (PED) and examine differences in the rate by subspecialty and year of training.

METHODS: For all residents rotating in an academic, urban children's hospital PED, the rate of patients seen per hour over the course of their rotation was calculated using an electronic tracking system, EmSTAT, for calendar year 2000. Rates are reported as the mean number of patients seen per resident hour worked. Mean differences are reported for resident subspecialties (emergency medicine, pediatrics, and family practice) and postgraduate year …

A Model Program For Youth Suicide Prevention, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Youth suicide continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Nation wide it is the third leading cause of death in the 10-24 year old age group. The rate of suicide varies somewhat from state to state. In the state of Kentucky, youth suicide is the second leading cause of death. This article describes a grass root, community-based program for youth suicide prevention and its impact on the community. The Stop Youth Suicide Campaign was launched in October 2000 and included more than 30 local agencies. This program worked. through public education, education of …

Stress Levels, Psychological Symptoms, And C-Reactive Protein Levels In Covid-19: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jian Zhang, Wei Li, Hideo Hoshi, Stephen L Mills, Stephen C Massey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The correlation between cholinergic sensitivity and the level of stratification for ganglion cells was examined in the rabbit retina. As examples, we have used ON or OFF alpha ganglion cells and ON/OFF directionally selective (DS) ganglion cells. Nicotine, a cholinergic agonist, depolarized ON/OFF DS ganglion cells and greatly enhanced their firing rates but it had modest excitatory effects on ON or OFF alpha ganglion cells. As previously reported, we conclude that DS ganglion cells are the most sensitive to cholinergic drugs. Confocal imaging showed that ON/OFF DS ganglion cells ramify precisely at the level of the cholinergic amacrine cell dendrites, …

The Cns Role Of Toll-Like Receptor 4 In Innate Neuroimmunity And Painful Neuropathy, Flobert Y. Tanga, Nancy Nutile-Mcmenemy, Joyce A. Deleo

Dartmouth Scholarship

Neuropathic pain remains a prevalent and persistent clinical problem because of our incomplete understanding of its pathogenesis. This study demonstrates for the first time, to our knowledge, a critical role for CNS innate immunity by means of microglial Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the induction phase of behavioral hypersensitivity in a mouse and rat model of neuropathy. We hypothesized that after L5 nerve transection, CNS neuroimmune activation and subsequent cytokine expression are triggered by the stimulation of microglial membrane-bound TLR4. To test this hypothesis, experiments were undertaken to assess tactile and thermal hypersensitivity in genetically altered (i.e., TLR4 knockout and …

Clinical Characteristics Of Individuals Using An Online Alcohol Evaluation Program., Daniel Z Lieberman

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

Access to treatment for substance abuse disorders is limited, and practical strategies are needed to expand opportunities for individuals to receive effective interventions. Automated or semi-automated treatments have shown promise in other disorders. Identifying the characteristics of patients who will be able to benefit from this unconventional approach will increase the likelihood of success. The current study examined 1,297 individuals using an online alcohol evaluation program. Subjects had high scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and a substantial amount of ambivalence about the possible harm that their drinking caused, but they also had very low levels of …

Quantitative 1h Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging Determines Therapeutic Immunization Efficacy In An Animal Model Of Parkinson's Disease., Michael D. Boska, Travis B. Lewis, Christopher J. Destache, Eric J. Benner, Jay A. Nelson, Mariano Uberti, R. Lee Mosley, Howard Gendelman

Journal Articles: Radiology

Nigrostriatal degeneration, the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD), is mirrored by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) intoxication. MPTP-treated animals show the common behavioral, motor, and pathological features of human disease. We demonstrated previously that adoptive transfer of Copaxone (Cop-1) immune cells protected the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway in MPTP-intoxicated mice. Herein, we evaluated this protection by quantitative proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1H MRSI). 1H MRSI performed in MPTP-treated mice demonstrated that N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) was significantly diminished in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and striatum, regions most affected in human disease. When the same regions were coregistered with immunohistochemical stains for …

Palm Is Expressed In Both Developing And Adult Mouse Lens And Retina., Meryl Castellini, Louise V Wolf, Bharesh K Chauhan, Deni S Galileo, Manfred W Kilimann, Ales Cvekl, Melinda K Duncan

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Paralemmin (Palm) is a prenyl-palmitoyl anchored membrane protein that can drive membrane and process formation in neurons. Earlier studies have shown brain preferred Palm expression, although this protein is a major water insoluble protein in chicken lens fiber cells and the Palm gene may be regulated by Pax6. METHODS: The expression profile of Palm protein in the embryonic, newborn and adult mouse eye as well as dissociated retinal neurons was determined by confocal immunofluorescence. The relative mRNA levels of Palm, Palmdelphin (PalmD) and paralemmin2 (Palm2) in the lens and retina were determined by real time rt-PCR. RESULTS: In the …

Prevalence Of Obesity And Lack Of Physical Activity Among Kentucky Adolescents, Hatim A. Omar, Kristin Rager

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Lack of physical activity and overweight status continues to be a significant health problem in the United States. To assess the actual prevalence of these problems, we reviewed data from the School-based Health Promotion Centers in one middle school, and one High school in central Kentucky. A total of 232 6th graders and 607 9th graders were included. A total of 92% of 6th graders and 45% of 9th graders reported complete lack of regular exercise. 37% of 9th graders and 59% of 6th graders had inappropriate nutrition, 47% of 9th graders and 33% of 6th graders had Body Mass …

Medical Symptoms Associated With Tobacco Smoking With And Without Marijuana Abuse Among Crack Cocaine-Dependent Patients., Ashwin A. Patkar, Vikas Batra, Paolo Mannelli, Sarah Evers-Casey, Michael J. Vergare, Frank T. Leone

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Despite the widespread use of tobacco and marijuana by cocaine abusers, it remains unclear whether combined tobacco and marijuana smoking is more harmful than tobacco smoking alone in cocaine abusers. We investigated the differences in medical symptoms reported among 34 crack cocaine abusers who did not smoke tobacco or marijuana (C), 86 crack cocaine abusers who also smoked tobacco (C + T), and 48 crack abusers who smoked both tobacco and marijuana (C + T + M). Medical symptoms were recorded using a 134-item self-report instrument (MILCOM), and drug use was assessed using the Addiction Severity Index (ASI). After controlling …

Relationship Of Serum Prolactin With Severity Of Drug Use And Treatment Outcome In Cocaine Dependence., Ashwin A. Patkar, Paolo Mannelli, Kenneth M. Certa, Kathleen Peindl, Heather Murray, Michael J. Vergare, Wade H. Berrettini

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

RATIONALE: Alteration in serum prolactin (PRL) levels may reflect changes in central dopamine activity, which modulates the behavioral effects of cocaine. Therefore, serum PRL may have a potential role as a biological marker of drug severity and treatment outcome in cocaine dependence.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether serum PRL levels differed between cocaine-dependent (CD) subjects and controls, and whether PRL levels were associated with severity of drug use and treatment outcome in CD subjects.

METHODS: Basal PRL concentrations were assayed in 141 African-American (AA) CD patients attending an outpatient treatment program and 60 AA controls. Severity of drug use was assessed …