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The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of survival time in first recurrent breast cancer patients, including psychologic as well as biologic factors. Beginning in 1979, 36 women being treated at the National Institutes of... more
The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of survival time in first recurrent breast cancer patients, including psychologic as well as biologic factors. Beginning in 1979, 36 women being treated at the National Institutes of Health for histologically proven recurrent disease were enrolled in this prospective study. At the time of data analysis, 24 had died from their malignancy. Through the use of a Cox proportional hazards model, four factors significantly entered the equation predicting survival time in the sample: Patients with a longer disease-free interval, who expressed more joy at baseline testing, who were predicted to live longer by their physicians, and who had fewer metastatic sites tended to live longer with recurrent disease than others in the sample (X2 = 22.9, p less than 0.0001). Findings from recent clinical and animal studies suggest that regulatory systems within the organism are linked and potentially influence one another. This study has demonstrated ...
Research Interests: Animal Studies, Data Analysis, Breast Cancer, Psychosomatic Medicine, Prospective studies, and 13 moreHumans, Female, Follow-up studies, Risk factors, Middle Aged, Psychological Tests, Psychosomatic, Sick Role, Risk Factors, Hazard Analysis, Survival Time, National Institute of Health, and Prospective Study
Ultrasonography performed with a high-frequency transducer is the modality of choice for evaluating acute and nonacute scrotal disease. Acute epididymitis and epididymo-orchitis are the most common conditions that present with acute... more
Ultrasonography performed with a high-frequency transducer is the modality of choice for evaluating acute and nonacute scrotal disease. Acute epididymitis and epididymo-orchitis are the most common conditions that present with acute scrotal pain. Differentiation of these from testicular torsion is important for determining the appropriate management. High-transducer sonography allows the visualization of the epididymis and its detailed anatomy. We present important sonographic features of epididymitis and epididymo-orchitis caused by infectious and noninfectious etiologies. Features of benign and malignant epididymal lesions, including epididymal cysts, spermatoceles and tubular ectasia, sperm granulomas, adenomatoid tumors, leiomyomas, papillary cyst adenomas, lymphoma, and metastases are also presented. In addition, epididymal trauma and torsion are discussed. The goal of the review is to provide the radiologist with a better understanding of the numerous pathological conditions that occur in the epididymis.
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Between 1984 and 1989, 129 Stage 1 and Stage 2 breast cancer patients were entered into a behavioral study in Pittsburgh. Approximately 70% of these patients had elected to have breast conservation (lumpectomy) surgery, with the remainder... more
Between 1984 and 1989, 129 Stage 1 and Stage 2 breast cancer patients were entered into a behavioral study in Pittsburgh. Approximately 70% of these patients had elected to have breast conservation (lumpectomy) surgery, with the remainder choosing mastectomy. Using the Profile of Mood States, a measure of perceived social support, and Karnofsky ratings of physical functional status, patients were assessed 3 to 5 days following surgery and again 3 and 15 months following surgery. The data were analyzed using a repeated-measures analysis of covariance, adjusting for aggressiveness of chemotherapy. Compared to mastectomy patients, patients who received breast conservation surgery were rated as more functional by observers, but they perceived themselves as having less energy and less emotional support, especially over the first 3 months of the recovery period. Because there is accumulating evidence that emotional support may act as a stress buffer in various populations and may have survival value, these findings may be particularly troublesome. This study shows that breast conservation surgery is not a psychosocial panacea. Patients whose breasts are spared, especially younger patients, have psychological symptoms that appear acutely worse in the short run and, in the end, are similar to those of patients who elect to have mastectomies. Therefore, patients choosing lumpectomies are not necessarily psychosocially better off than those electing to have mastectomies. Additionally, these patients, particularly younger patients, may require greater social support and potential mental health interventions than they seem to be receiving.
Research Interests: Health Psychology, Education, Mental Health, Breast Cancer, Quality of life, and 13 moreSocial Support, Health, Humans, Personality Assessment Inventory, Female, Follow-up studies, Middle Aged, Repeated Measures, Survival Rate, Sick Role, Physical Function, Breast Conserving Surgery, and Profile of Mood States
Ninety women with recently diagnosed stage I or stage II breast cancer who had been admitted to the NIH Clinical Center and were participating in a randomized trial were entered onto this behavioral immunology protocol. Patients were... more
Ninety women with recently diagnosed stage I or stage II breast cancer who had been admitted to the NIH Clinical Center and were participating in a randomized trial were entered onto this behavioral immunology protocol. Patients were immunologically and psychosocially assessed at baseline (approximately 5 days after surgery) and again at 3 and 15 months post surgery. All of the patients were followed up for a minimum of 5 years, and 60% of the patients were followed for 7 years or longer. Twenty-nine women in the study group reported disease recurrences over the entire follow-up period. Causal path modeling statistical techniques showed that natural killer (NK) cell activity was a strong predictor of disease outcome when the outcome variable was defined as recurrence v nonrecurrence of disease (chi 2 = 6.9, p less than .001). Higher NK cell activity at follow-up predicted disease-free survival over the follow-up period. When the disease outcome variable was operationally defined as time to recurrent disease, the psychosocial factors were more strongly predictive of the rate of disease progression for those who had a recurrence (chi 2 = -4.1, p less than .01), but NK cell activity was seemingly less relevant in this latter case. Overall, these findings suggest that including mood and potentially relevant immunological variables, along with important biological prognostic variables, in multivariate and prospective models such as those examined in this study, potentially contributes more to the explanation of greater outcome variance of early-stage breast cancer than has been believed in the past.
Research Interests: Psychology, Breast Cancer, Social Support, Behavioral Medicine, Affect, and 17 moreHumans, Natural Killer cells, Female, Statistical Techniques in Spatial Analysis, Follow-up studies, Randomized Trial, Social Adjustment, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Behavioral, Prognosis, natural killer (NK) cell, Disease Progression, NK Cell, and Combined Modality Therapy
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With the increase in scaling up of antiretroviral therapy (ART), knowledge of the need for adherence to ART is pivotal for successful treatment outcomes. A cross-sectional study was carried out between October and December 2013. We... more
With the increase in scaling up of antiretroviral therapy (ART), knowledge of the need for adherence to ART is pivotal for successful treatment outcomes. A cross-sectional study was carried out between October and December 2013. We administered theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and adherence questionnaires to 358 women aged 18-49 years, from a rural and urban ART-clinics in southern Malawi. Hierarchical linear regression models were used to predict intentions to adhere to ART. Regression models show that attitude (β=0.47), subjective norm (β=0.31) and perceived behavioural control (β=0.12) explain 55% of the variance in intentions to adhere to ART. The relationship between both food insecurity and perceived side effects with intentions to adhere to ART is mediated by attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control. Household (r=0.20) and individual (r=0.21) food insecurity were positively and significantly correlated with perceived behavioural control. Household food in...
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Factors influencing infant feeding method during the maternity hospital stay: How intention, maternal characteristics and early skin-to-skin mother/infant contact correlate. Abstract The purpose of this prospective cohort study (n =... more
Factors influencing infant feeding method during the maternity hospital stay: How intention, maternal characteristics and early skin-to-skin mother/infant contact correlate. Abstract The purpose of this prospective cohort study (n = 21,658) was to assess the association of a mother's initial infant feeding method intention at time of her maternity hospitalization admission, maternal characteristics, and early skin-to-skin maternal/infant contact during the first 3 hours following birth with the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding during the remainder of the maternity hospital stay. Participants were mother/infant dyads from 19 hospitals throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties in California from July 2005 through June 2006. Statistical analysis included univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding improved as the length of time in early skin-to-skin mother/infant contact increased in both mothers who had intended to breastf...
Purpose: Identification of maternal infant-feeding method intention, socio-demographic characteristics, and intrapartum variables that increased the likelihood of early skin-to-skin mother/infant contact during the first 3 hours following... more
Purpose: Identification of maternal infant-feeding method intention, socio-demographic characteristics, and intrapartum variables that increased the likelihood of early skin-to-skin mother/infant contact during the first 3 hours following birth. Study Design and Method: A nurse-driven hospital-based prospective cohort study of data collected in 19 hospitals in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, California by Perinatal Services Network (PSN). Mothers (n= 21,842) who delivered a singleton (37- 40 weeks gestation, and not separated from their baby for more than one hour during the hospital stay) between July 2005 through June 2006 were included in the study. Univariate and multivariable ordinal logistic regression models were employed to identify predictors of an increasing likelihood of early skin-to-skin mother/infant contact (hospital and primary maternal language were controlled). Results: Multivariable ordinal logistic regression showed that hospital of birth played a major ro...
Introduction: Given the rates of childhood obesity in the US, it is important that prevention and treatment programs focus on increasing physical activity (PA). Thus, there is a need to examine what influences children to be physically... more
Introduction: Given the rates of childhood obesity in the US, it is important that prevention and treatment programs focus on increasing physical activity (PA). Thus, there is a need to examine what influences children to be physically active so effective programs can be developed and implemented. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of strategic planning on children's PA behaviors. Methods: The study was a prospective, observational design with two data collection points, one week apart. During the first observation, participants were given a 35-item questionnaire that assessed several influences of children's PA and the PA questionnaire for older children (PAQ-C). During the second observation, participants were given the PAQ-C again and height and weight was measured. Participants included 345 children ages 8 to 14 years in the fourth through eighth grades in Southern California. Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were used in this study....
Background. Although HIV treatment is readily available in Malawi, adherence is a major public health concern. The Theory of Planned Behavior’s (TPB’s) proximal variables (intention and perceived behavioral control) are considered to... more
Background. Although HIV treatment is readily available in Malawi, adherence is a major public health concern. The Theory of Planned Behavior’s (TPB’s) proximal variables (intention and perceived behavioral control) are considered to predict behavior. However, when TPB was used to measure HIV medication adherence in South Africa, intention did not predict behavior. We tested the TPB in 2 Malawi HIV clinics. Methods. From October to December 2013, we administered interview-guided TPB and adherence questionnaires to 358 women at two Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) clinics in Southern Malawi. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations to adherence. Results. Intention was not a significant predictor of self-reported adherence while perceived behavioral control (OR=.49), location (OR=.28), food insecurity (OR=.60), and patients’ attitude (OR=2.66) were significant predictors of adherence. Interactions were found between attitude, side effects, and food insecurity. However...
Prescription opioid and heroin abuse have been increasing steadily year after year, and continue to be a serious national problem. A sequela of the increase in opioid abuse has been an increase in the number of infants born with opioid... more
Prescription opioid and heroin abuse have been increasing steadily year after year, and continue to be a serious national problem. A sequela of the increase in opioid abuse has been an increase in the number of infants born with opioid dependence. These infants often require costly, prolonged stays in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for drug withdrawal treatment. The authors studied a population of infants from a large Medicaid health plan who were born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) secondary to in utero opioid exposure to assess the average length of stay in the NICU, and to determine the variables that may account for differences in interinstitutional lengths of stay. The overall average length of stay for NAS was 21.1 days for the 139 infants included in the study. Analysis of the medication used for treatment revealed that infants who were treated with a combined inpatient/outpatient regimen with methadone had an average length of stay of 11.4 days versus 25.1 ...
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The objective of this study was to enhance the angiogenic capacity of endothelial cells (ECs) using nano-scale signaling cues from aligned nanofibrillar scaffolds in the setting of tissue ischemia. Thread-like nanofibrillar scaffolds with... more
The objective of this study was to enhance the angiogenic capacity of endothelial cells (ECs) using nano-scale signaling cues from aligned nanofibrillar scaffolds in the setting of tissue ischemia. Thread-like nanofibrillar scaffolds with porous structure were fabricated from aligned-braided membranes generated under shear from liquid crystal collagen solution. Human ECs showed greater outgrowth from aligned scaffolds than from non-patterned scaffolds. Integrin α1 was in part responsible for the enhanced cellular outgrowth on aligned nanofibrillar scaffolds, as the effect was abrogated by integrin α1 inhibition. To test the efficacy of EC-seeded aligned nanofibrillar scaffolds in improving neovascularization in vivo, the ischemic limbs of mice were treated with: EC-seeded aligned nanofibrillar scaffold; EC-seeded non-patterned scaffold; ECs in saline; aligned nanofibrillar scaffold alone; or no treatment. After 14 days, laser Doppler blood spectroscopy demonstrated significant impro...
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Based on the theory of planned behavior the research aims were to: (a) ascertain how attitude, subjective norm, and perceived control predict intentions to engage in sexual intercourse among Black, African-born adolescents in Southern... more
Based on the theory of planned behavior the research aims were to: (a) ascertain how attitude, subjective norm, and perceived control predict intentions to engage in sexual intercourse among Black, African-born adolescents in Southern California; and (b) determine how behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and control beliefs predict attitude, subjective norm and perceived control. A questionnaire was developed based on focus group findings. One hundred and thirty-five adolescents aged 15 to 19 years completed the questionnaire. The strongest predictor of intention was attitude, then subjective norm. Enjoying sex, "wanting to be a parent" and to "keep sexual partners" predicted attitude. Educative, informative, cultural and faith based programs, if initiated may help African adolescents in Southern California.
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Glioblastomas are highly vascular malignant brain tumors that often overexpress vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). They also frequently overexpress epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and contain regions of hypoxia, both... more
Glioblastomas are highly vascular malignant brain tumors that often overexpress vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). They also frequently overexpress epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and contain regions of hypoxia, both conditions that can induce VEGF. We examined VEGF regulation in U87 MG human glioblastoma cells and in U87/T691 cells, a clonal derivative that contains a truncated erbB2/Neu receptor that interferes with EGFR signaling through the formation of nonfunctional heterodimeric receptor complexes. U87/T691 cells contained approximately one-half as much VEGF mRNA as did U87 MG cells under normoxic conditions (21% oxygen). Pharmacological inhibition of EGFR, Ras, or PI(3) kinase, but not MAP kinase, led to a significant decrease in VEGF mRNA levels in U87 MG cells. VEGF promoter activity in transient transfections was decreased by either pharmacological or genetic inhibition of EGFR, Ras, or phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase [PI(3) kinase]. However, inhibition ...
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Real-time vascular imaging that provides both anatomic and hemodynamic information could greatly facilitate the diagnosis of vascular diseases and provide accurate assessment of therapeutic effects. Here, we have developed a novel... more
Real-time vascular imaging that provides both anatomic and hemodynamic information could greatly facilitate the diagnosis of vascular diseases and provide accurate assessment of therapeutic effects. Here, we have developed a novel fluorescence-based all-optical method, named near-infrared II (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging, to image murine hindlimb vasculature and blood flow in an experimental model of peripheral arterial disease, by exploiting fluorescence in the NIR-II region (1000-1400 nm) of photon wavelengths. Because of the reduced photon scattering of NIR-II fluorescence compared with traditional NIR fluorescence imaging and thus much deeper penetration depth into the body, we demonstrated that the mouse hindlimb vasculature could be imaged with higher spatial resolution than in vivo microscopic computed tomography. Furthermore, imaging during 26 days revealed a significant increase in hindlimb microvascular density in response to experimentally induced ischemia within the first 8 days of the surgery (P<0.005), which was confirmed by histological analysis of microvascular density. Moreover, the tissue perfusion in the ischemic hindlimb could be quantitatively measured by the dynamic NIR-II method, revealing the temporal kinetics of blood flow recovery that resembled microbead-based blood flowmetry and laser Doppler blood spectroscopy. The penetration depth of millimeters, high spatial resolution, and fast acquisition rate of NIR-II imaging make it a useful imaging tool for murine models of vascular disease.
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Nucleus movement is essential during nucleus positioning for tissue growth and development in eukaryotic cells. However, molecular regulators of nucleus movement in interphase fibroblasts have yet to be identified. Here, we report that... more
Nucleus movement is essential during nucleus positioning for tissue growth and development in eukaryotic cells. However, molecular regulators of nucleus movement in interphase fibroblasts have yet to be identified. Here, we report that nuclei of Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts undergo enhanced movement when subjected to shear flows. Such movement includes both rotation and translocation and is dependent on microtubule, not F-actin, structure. Through inactivation of Rho GTPases, well-known mediators of cytoskeleton reorganization, we demonstrate that Cdc42, not RhoA or Rac1, controls the extent of nucleus translocation, and more importantly, of nucleus rotation in the cytoplasm. In addition to generating nuclei movement, we find that shear flows also causes repositioning of the MTOC in the direction of flow. This behavior is also controlled by Cdc42 via the Par6/protein kinase Czeta pathway. These results are the first to establish Cdc42 as a molecular regulator of not only shear-induced MTOC...
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Objective: To examine the impact of food insecurity and medication side effects on intentions to adhere to antiretroviral (ART) medication among reproductive age women receiving care in rural and urban hospitals in southern Malawi.... more
Objective: To examine the impact of food insecurity and medication side effects on intentions to adhere to antiretroviral (ART) medication among reproductive age women receiving care in rural and urban hospitals in southern Malawi. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was carried out in two hospitals in southern Malawi between October and December 2013. We administered interview guided questionnaires to 358 women ages 18-49 years, from Malamulo and QECH ART Clinics Hierarchical linear regression models were used to predict intentions to adhere to ART. Results: The relationship of both food insecurity and perceived side effects with intentions to adhere to ART is mediated by attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. Household (r=0.20) and individual (r=0.21) food insecurity were positively and significantly correlated with perceived behavioral control. Household food insecurity had a negative correlation with perceived side effects (r=-0.11). Perceived side effe...
The Affymetrix GeneChip platform was used to build a gene expression database of the normal human body. Postmortem human tissues represent a valuable source of biological materials for this type of study, but their use entails some delays... more
The Affymetrix GeneChip platform was used to build a gene expression database of the normal human body. Postmortem human tissues represent a valuable source of biological materials for this type of study, but their use entails some delays before harvesting such tissues. We first evaluated the RNA quality obtained from tissues obtained 3-5 h postmortem and found variations that were both tissue and donor-dependent. RNAs extracted from brain regions were of higher quality than those obtained from the gut, while the cause of death was a significant factor in donor-dependent differences. To avoid these variables, we used rat duodenum to determine the effects of RNA degradation on the analysis of gene expression. Surprisingly, even samples exhibiting significant RNA degradation yielded robust gene expression results, comparable to those obtained using intact samples at a certain signal intensity cutoff. We extended these findings to our human expression database and obtained similar resu...
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Background: Non-adherence to antiretroviral (ART) medication is a significant hindrance to the success of HIV/AIDS treatment. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of healthcare providers on ART medication adherence in... more
Background: Non-adherence to antiretroviral (ART) medication is a significant hindrance to the success of HIV/AIDS treatment. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of healthcare providers on ART medication adherence in two HIV treatment centers in southern Malawi. Methods: A one-on-one semi-structured interview was conducted with 8 healthcare providers who work directly with HIV/AIDS patients in two ART Clinics in rural and urban southern Malawi. The interview was focused on factors that facilitate and hinder ART adherence and strategies to improve adherence. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and content analyzed with the use of constant comparison approach. Results: Barriers to adherence ranged from discrimination and non-disclosure, food insecurity, shortages of staff and ART medication, and medication side effects. Factors facilitating adherence included patients’ belief and knowledge, education, and supportive network. Strategies to improve adherenc...
Emerging evidence implicates cancer stem cells (CSCs) as primary determinants of the clinical behavior of human cancers, representing an ideal target for next-generation anti-cancer therapies. However CSCs are difficult to propagate... more
Emerging evidence implicates cancer stem cells (CSCs) as primary determinants of the clinical behavior of human cancers, representing an ideal target for next-generation anti-cancer therapies. However CSCs are difficult to propagate in vitro, severely limiting the study of CSC biology and drug development. Here we report that growing cells from glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines on three dimensional (3D) porous chitosan-alginate (CA) scaffolds dramatically promotes the proliferation and enrichment of cells possessing the hallmarks of CSCs. CA scaffold-grown cells were found more tumorigenic in nude mouse xenografts than cells grown from monolayers. Growing in CA scaffolds rapidly promoted expression of genes involved in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition that has been implicated in the genesis of CSCs. Our results indicate that CA scaffolds have utility as a simple and inexpensive means to cultivate CSCs in vitro in support of studies to understand CSC biology and develop more effe...
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Falling is a serious health concern among older adults. The National Health Research Institutes in Taiwan indicated that one-fifth of older adults fell in 2005. Although empirical evidences have shown that strength and balance training... more
Falling is a serious health concern among older adults. The National Health Research Institutes in Taiwan indicated that one-fifth of older adults fell in 2005. Although empirical evidences have shown that strength and balance training (SBT) programs are effective in preventing falls, older adults rarely participate. Based on the theory of panned behavior, our previous study among 221 Taiwanese older women found that perceived behavioral control most strongly associated with intention to attend SBT programs, followed by subjective norm and attitude. In this study, we further explore how behavioral, normative, and control beliefs associated with SBT program correlate with attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, respectively. In addition, significant interactions between respondents' perceived likelihood of SBT program outcomes (behavioral beliefs) and the corresponding outcome evaluation were found in three outcomes: mental health improvement, fall risks redu...
As a subtype of leukocytes and progenitors of macrophages, monocytes are involved in many important processes of organisms and are often the subject of various fields in biomedical science. The method described below is a simple and... more
As a subtype of leukocytes and progenitors of macrophages, monocytes are involved in many important processes of organisms and are often the subject of various fields in biomedical science. The method described below is a simple and effective way to isolate murine monocytes from heterogeneous bone marrow. Bone marrow from the femur and tibia of Balb/c mice is harvested by flushing with phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Cell suspension is supplemented with macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and cultured on ultra-low attachment surfaces to avoid adhesion-triggered differentiation of monocytes. The properties and differentiation of monocytes are characterized at various intervals. Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), with markers like CD11b, CD115, and F4/80, is used for phenotyping. At the end of cultivation, the suspension consists of 45%± 12% monocytes. By removing adhesive macrophages, the purity can be raised up to 86%± 6%. After the isolation, monocytes can be utilized in various ways, and one of the most effective and common methods for in vivo delivery is intravenous tail vein injection. This technique of isolation and application is important for mouse model studies, especially in the fields of inflammation or immunology. Monocytes can also be used therapeutically in mouse disease models.
Research Interests: Cell separation, Mice, Tibia, Femur, Animals, and 4 moreMale, Monocytes, Bone Marrow Cells, and Cytological Techniques
We examined whether there is a relationship between trans fatty acid intakes and emotion regulation, mediated by positive or negative affect. Archival data on 1699 men and 3293 women were used to measure trans fatty acid intake at... more
We examined whether there is a relationship between trans fatty acid intakes and emotion regulation, mediated by positive or negative affect. Archival data on 1699 men and 3293 women were used to measure trans fatty acid intake at baseline, positive, and negative affects and emotion regulation at follow-up. Higher trans fatty acid intake related to subsequent difficulties with emotional awareness (p = 0.045), clarity (p = 0.012), and regulation strategies (p = 0.009). Affect mediated these relationships. Lower trans fatty acid intake associated with increased positive and decreased negative affects which, in turn, associated with improved emotion regulation. Trans fatty acid intakes may be associated with subsequent ability to regulate emotions.
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Ion channels are an attractive class of drug targets, but progress in developing inhibitors for therapeutic use has been limited largely due to challenges in identifying subtype selective small molecules. Animal venoms provide an... more
Ion channels are an attractive class of drug targets, but progress in developing inhibitors for therapeutic use has been limited largely due to challenges in identifying subtype selective small molecules. Animal venoms provide an alternative source of ion channel modulators, and the venoms of several species, such as scorpions, spiders and snails, are known to be rich sources of ion channel modulating peptides. Importantly, these peptides often bind to hyper-variable extracellular loops, creating the potential for subtype selectivity rarely achieved with small molecules. We have engineered scorpion venom peptides and incorporated them in fusion proteins to generate highly potent and selective Kv1.3 inhibitors with long in vivo half-lives. Kv1.3 has been reported to play a role in human T cell activation, and therefore, these Kv1.3 inhibitor fusion proteins may have potential for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Our results support an emerging approach to generating subtype sele...
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Eleven marathon runners (42.7 +/- 2.1 yrs, 54.2 +/- 1.8 ml.kg-1.min-1) and nine sedentary controls (44.2 +/- 1.2 yrs, 33.3 +/- 1.1 ml.kg-1.min-1) were studied during 30 min of rest, a graded maximal treadmill test using the Balke... more
Eleven marathon runners (42.7 +/- 2.1 yrs, 54.2 +/- 1.8 ml.kg-1.min-1) and nine sedentary controls (44.2 +/- 1.2 yrs, 33.3 +/- 1.1 ml.kg-1.min-1) were studied during 30 min of rest, a graded maximal treadmill test using the Balke protocol, and 45 min of recovery to determine the effects of training and acute exercise on complement and immunoglobulin levels. Three baseline and five recovery blood samples were obtained in addition to repeated 5-min samples during exercise. Data for the exercise period were analyzed using a multiple regression approach to repeated measures ANOVA to allow comparison between groups on a percent VO2max basis. Groups did not differ during any of the three phases for IgG, IgA, or IgM. Resting levels of complement C3 (0.89 +/- 0.05 vs 1.27 +/- 0.10 g/L, P less than 0.001) and C4 (0.19 +/- 0.02 vs 0.29 +/- 0.03 g/L, P less than 0.001) were significantly lower in athletes than in controls. Exercise complement C3 [F(1,18) = 14.1, P = 0.001] and C4 [F(1,18) = 7....
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Domestic violence does not stop at the threshold of the churches' doors. Domestic violence not only endangers victims' physical and mental health, but also their spiritual health. In this study Protestant and Catholic... more
Domestic violence does not stop at the threshold of the churches' doors. Domestic violence not only endangers victims' physical and mental health, but also their spiritual health. In this study Protestant and Catholic ministers' beliefs and attitudes on the issue of wife abuse ...
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Research Interests: Genetics, Cognitive Science, Molecular Biology, Principal Component Analysis, Network Analysis, and 19 moreNeurogenetics, Gene expression, Transcription, Humans, Microarray, Female, Male, Unsupervised Learning, Cluster Analysis, Central Nervous System, Hierarchical Clustering, Middle Aged, Human Genome, Molecular Characterization, Adult, Reproducibility of Results, Neurosciences, Gene expression profiling, and Gene Expression Data
Research Interests: Caenorhabditis elegans, Rheology, Nanoparticles, Nanotechnology, Ovarian Cancer, and 13 moreBiological Sciences, Humans, Cell Mechanics, Mice, Animals, Single Particle Tracking, Shear Flow, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Frequency Dependence, Time Dependent, Very high throughput, High Spatial Resolution, and Biomechanical Phenomena
This study was designed to determine factors that influence female and male condom use among Central American women, applying the theory of planned behavior. A cross-sectional design was employed and a sample of 175 Central American... more
This study was designed to determine factors that influence female and male condom use among Central American women, applying the theory of planned behavior. A cross-sectional design was employed and a sample of 175 Central American women, 18-50 years old, was recruited from a community-based clinic in Los Angeles County. Participants in this study were interviewed face-to-face. Attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control explained 41% and 45% of the variation in the intention to use male and female condoms, respectively. Respondents' friends and mothers influenced their subjective norms. Beliefs regarding sexual sensation and sexually transmitted infection/pregnancy prevention affected respondents' attitudes toward condoms. Trust issues were also a major factor affecting attitudes toward female condoms. Condom use and sex negotiation skills predicted control over condoms. Results of this study can be used to design HIV/AIDS prevention programs that help wome...
Research Interests: Trust, Theory of Planned Behavior, Adolescent, Los Angeles, Humans, and 16 moreFace to Face, Central America, Female, Male, Sexual Behavior, Attitude, Condom use, Middle Aged, Perceived Behavioral Control, Adult, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Negotiating, Condoms, Cross Sectional Studies, and Predictive Control
Research Interests: Immunology, Flow Cytometry, Membrane Proteins, Immunohistochemistry, Neuroimmunology, and 17 moreWestern blotting, Phylogeny, Humans, Cerebellum, Autoimmune Disease, Sequence alignment, Mice, Female, Animals, Immune system, Time Factors, Purkinje Cells, Amino Acid Sequence, Neurosciences, Immunoglobulins, Immunoglobulin, and Cell Adhesion Molecules
This study explored the extent to which church members thought the assets they might have to engage in HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities were important. Eight hundred and thirty members from 83 Christian churches in Aba, Nigeria... more
This study explored the extent to which church members thought the assets they might have to engage in HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities were important. Eight hundred and thirty members from 83 Christian churches in Aba, Nigeria completed a multi-item survey questionnaire designed to obtain information on the importance they attached to church-based assets relevant to HIV/AIDS prevention and control. The rating of importance of assets was on a scale of 1 to 5. Rating on the importance of assets was highest in the spiritual asset category (mean = 4.20), followed by health education (4.02), capacity building (4.01), social (3.62), and financial assets (3.54). Among the denominational assets, free HIV/AIDS drug donation was rated higher (4.10) than other assets in the subcategories. This study demonstrates the usefulness of ascertaining members' perspectives on the importance of church-based assets and provides a basis for recommendation to health education administrators.
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Research Interests: Rheology, Cell Adhesion, Nanoparticles, Nanotechnology, Fluorescent Dyes and Reagents, and 17 moreCytoskeleton, Signal Transduction, Biological Sciences, Cell Mechanics, Mice, Animals, Cell, T cells, Shear Stress, First-Order Logic, Shear Flow, Fluid flow, High Resolution, Mechanical Stress, Shear Strength, Rho-kinase, and Rho GTPase
Inflammation is a common pathophysiological pathway for a number of chronic diseases, and is strongly influenced by sociodemographic factors and lifestyle. Less is known about factors that may influence the inflammatory response in... more
Inflammation is a common pathophysiological pathway for a number of chronic diseases, and is strongly influenced by sociodemographic factors and lifestyle. Less is known about factors that may influence the inflammatory response in individuals of distinct ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between ethnicity and blood levels of inflammatory markers in a sample of non-smoking church-goers. In a cross-sectional investigation, 508 men and women (> 35 years old, 62% White, 38% Black) participated in the Biopsychosocial Religion and Health substudy of the Adventist Health Study 2. The contribution of socioeconomic status (education level and difficulty meeting expenses for basic needs) and health covariates (exercise, vegetarian or other type of diet, body mass index, and presence of inflammatory conditions) toward serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was assessed with linear regress...
Research Interests: Health Behavior, Inflammation, Humans, Female, Male, and 12 moreAfrican Americans, Aged, Middle Aged, C reactive protein, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, European Continental Ancestry Group, Biological markers, Cross Sectional Studies, Interleukin, and Socioeconomic Factors
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This study explored if moral norms as applied to the theory of planned behavior (TPB) account for additional variance in predicting intention to consume alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and engage in sexual activity among youth at a high school... more
This study explored if moral norms as applied to the theory of planned behavior (TPB) account for additional variance in predicting intention to consume alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and engage in sexual activity among youth at a high school in Mexico. Additionally, it investigated if moral norms provide a moderating influence on the constructs of the theory: attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control for prediction of risky behavior intention. Multiple regression analyses identified predictive power of constructs; interactions of moral norms with the theory constructs were studied. Moral norms only significantly predicted sexual activity. Significant interactions were found between moral norms and the theory constructs for the three behaviors. Interventions aimed at preventing risky conduct among youth would benefit from strategies targeting beliefs in the moral order, especially because of its interaction with the other theoretical mechanisms.
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Research Interests:
This longitudinal study evaluated the effect a prostate cancer-specific online support group had for self-assessed quality of life. Participants (N = 40) were randomly assigned to an online support group or the control group. Data... more
This longitudinal study evaluated the effect a prostate cancer-specific online support group had for self-assessed quality of life. Participants (N = 40) were randomly assigned to an online support group or the control group. Data consisted of four previously validated quality-of-life measurements. Analysis determined that over time, quality of life improved for those in the online group and decreased for those in the control group, but returned to baseline at eight weeks. Providing support using online methods is effective; the length of time this intervention should be provided to patients will require further research.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Rheology, Cell Migration, Wound Healing, Nanoparticles, Biophysical Chemistry, and 14 moreCytoskeleton, Biological Sciences, Cell Mechanics, Mice, Animals, Physical sciences, Cell Polarity, Microtubules, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Nuclear envelope, Cell nucleus, Mechanical Stress, Actin Filaments, and Cell Motility
Background. The purpose of this study was to explore healthcare providers' perspectives on antiretroviral (ART) adherence in two ART clinics in southern Malawi. Nonadherence to ART is a significant hindrance to the success of HIV/AIDS... more
Background. The purpose of this study was to explore healthcare providers' perspectives on antiretroviral (ART) adherence in two ART clinics in southern Malawi. Nonadherence to ART is a significant hindrance to the success of HIV/AIDS treatment. Methods. A one-on-one semistructured interview was conducted with eight healthcare providers in two ART clinics in rural and urban southern Malawi. The interviews were focused on factors facilitating or hindering ART adherence and strategies to improve adherence. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and content-analyzed with the use of the constant comparison approach. Results. Of the eight participants, 63% were between the ages of 20 and 30 years and 37% were HIV counselors. Factors facilitating adherence include patients' belief and knowledge, HIV/AIDS education, and a supportive network. Barriers to adherence include discrimination, nondisclosure of HIV status, food insecurity, medication side effects, religion, misinform...