Adult Basic Education: Community Health Partnerships and Health Disparities.

Background: Adult Basic Education (ABE) is the national system that offers adults with low literacy and/or limited English with educational services in reading, writing, math, technology, and communications from basic levels to high school equivalency, with specialty programs in transition to community colleges and family literacy.

Brief Description Of Activity: To show the role of ABE in increasing health literacy in low literate and/or limited English populations through partnership with community health organizations (CHOs).

Implementation: This article was developed through a collaborative thought process over a period of 8 months with experts from the field of ABE in development of health literacy within low literate and/or limited English populations.

The protective variant rs7173049 at LOXL1 locus impacts on retinoic acid signaling pathway in pseudoexfoliation syndrome.

LOXL1 (lysyl oxidase-like 1) has been identified as the major effect locus in pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome, a fibrotic disorder of the extracellular matrix and frequent cause of chronic open-angle glaucoma. However, all known PEX-associated common variants show allele effect reversal in populations of different ancestry, casting doubt on their biological significance. Based on extensive LOXL1 deep sequencing, we report here the identification of a common non-coding sequence variant, rs7173049A>G, located downstream of LOXL1, consistently associated with a decrease in PEX risk (odds ratio, OR = 0.

Functional Diversity in the Retina Improves the Population Code.

Within a given brain region, individual neurons exhibit a wide variety of different feature selectivities. Here, we investigated the impact of this extensive functional diversity on the population neural code. Our approach was to build optimal decoders to discriminate among stimuli using the spiking output of a real, measured neural population and compare its performance against a matched, homogeneous neural population with the same number of cells and spikes.

Genetic variants and cellular stressors associated with exfoliation syndrome modulate promoter activity of a lncRNA within the LOXL1 locus.

Exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is a common, age-related, systemic fibrillinopathy. It greatly increases risk of exfoliation glaucoma (XFG), a major worldwide cause of irreversible blindness. Coding variants in the lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) gene are strongly associated with XFS in all studied populations, but a functional role for these variants has not been established.

Neurons in cat V1 show significant clustering by degree of tuning.

Neighboring neurons in cat primary visual cortex (V1) have similar preferred orientation, direction, and spatial frequency. How diverse is their degree of tuning for these properties? To address this, we used single-tetrode recordings to simultaneously isolate multiple cells at single recording sites and record their responses to flashed and drifting gratings of multiple orientations, spatial frequencies, and, for drifting gratings, directions. Orientation tuning width, spatial frequency tuning width, and direction selectivity index (DSI) all showed significant clustering: pairs of neurons recorded at a single site were significantly more similar in each of these properties than pairs of neurons from different recording sites.

Pharmacogenomic interaction between the Haptoglobin genotype and vitamin E on atherosclerotic plaque progression and stability.

Objective: Homozygosity for a 1.7 kb intragenic duplication of the Haptoglobin (Hp) gene (Hp 2-2 genotype), present in 36% of the population, has been associated with a 2-3 fold increased incidence of atherothrombosis in individuals with Diabetes (DM) in 10 longitudinal studies compared to DM individuals not homozygous for this duplication (Hp 1-1/2-1). The increased CVD risk associated with the Hp 2-2 genotype has been shown to be prevented with vitamin E supplementation in man.

The generation of hybrid electrospun nanofiber layer with extracellular matrix derived from human pluripotent stem cells, for regenerative medicine applications.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) has been utilized as a biological scaffold for tissue engineering applications in a variety of body systems, due to its bioactivity and biocompatibility. In the current study we developed a modified protocol for the efficient and reproducible derivation of mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) from human embryonic stem cells as well as human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) originating from hair follicle keratinocytes (HFKTs). ECM was produced from these MPCs and characterized in comparison to adipose mesenchymal stem cell ECM, demonstrating robust ECM generation by the excised HFKT-iPSC-MPCs.

ADAR1 is involved in the regulation of reprogramming human fibroblasts to induced pluripotent stem cells.

Adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing is a post-transcriptional, site-specific modification process that is catalyzed by Adenosine Deaminase Acting on RNA (ADAR) gene family members. Since ADARs act on double-stranded RNA, most A-to-I editing occurs within repetitive elements, particularly Alu elements, as the result of the inherent property of these sequences to fold and form double strands. ADAR1-mediated A-to-I RNA editing was recently implicated in the regulation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).

SK4 Ca2+ activated K+ channel is a critical player in cardiac pacemaker derived from human embryonic stem cells.

Proper expression and function of the cardiac pacemaker is a critical feature of heart physiology. Two main mechanisms have been proposed: (i) the "voltage-clock," where the hyperpolarization-activated funny current If causes diastolic depolarization that triggers action potential cycling; and (ii) the "Ca(2+) clock," where cyclical release of Ca(2+) from Ca(2+) stores depolarizes the membrane during diastole via activation of the Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger. Nonetheless, these mechanisms remain controversial.

The role of lysyl oxidase-like 1 DNA copy number variants in exfoliation glaucoma.

Purpose: To investigate whether DNA copy number variants (CNVs) in the lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) gene are associated with exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) in black South Africans.

Methods: Black South African subjects with XFG and age-matched unaffected controls were recruited from the St. John Eye Hospital in Soweto (Johannesburg, South Africa) and East London Hospital Complex (Eastern Cape, South Africa) using standard clinical examination techniques.

Encounter dynamics of a small target by a polymer diffusing in a confined domain.

We study the first passage time for a polymer, that we call the narrow encounter time (NETP), to reach a small target located on the surface of a microdomain. The polymer is modeled as a freely joint chain (beads connected by springs with a resting non zero length) and we use Brownian simulations to study two cases: when (i) any of the monomer or (ii) only one can be absorbed at the target window. Interestingly, we find that in the first case, the NETP is an increasing function of the polymer length until a critical length, after which it decreases.

Macular thickness measured by optical coherence tomography correlates with proteinuria in pre-eclampsia.

Objectives: Pre-eclampsia is associated with ocular changes. The aim of this study was to examine the macular changes of patients with early-onset severe pre-eclampsia using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods: This prospective study was performed at Tygerberg Academic Hospital, a secondary and tertiary referral centre in Cape Town, South Africa.

Altered A-to-I RNA editing in human embryogenesis.

Post-transcriptional events play an important role in human development. The question arises as to whether Adenosine to Inosine RNA editing, catalyzed by the ADAR (Adenosine Deaminase acting on RNA) enzymes, differs in human embryogenesis and in adulthood. We tested the editing of various target genes in coding (FLNA, BLCAP, CYFIP2) and non-coding sequences at their Alu elements (BRCA1, CARD11, RBBP9, MDM4, FNACC), as well as the transcriptional levels of the ADAR1 enzymes.

Myocilin mutations in black South Africans with POAG.

Purpose: Myocilin (MYOC) mutations are associated with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in multiple populations. Here we examined the role of MYOC mutations in a black South African population with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Methods: Unrelated black South African subjects with POAG and unaffected controls were recruited from the St.

An investigation into LOXL1 variants in black South African individuals with exfoliation syndrome.

Objective: To investigate the association between 2 lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) polymorphisms, rs1048661 (R141L) and rs3825942 (G153D), and exfoliation syndrome (XFS) in black South African individuals.

Methods: A total of 43 black patients with XFS and 47 ethnically matched controls were recruited for genetic analysis. Samples were analyzed for presence of the LOXL1-R141L and G153D variants using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

Molecular characterization and functional properties of cardiomyocytes derived from human inducible pluripotent stem cells.

In view of the therapeutic potential of cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells (iPS-derived cardiomyocytes), in the present study we investigated in iPS-derived cardiomyocytes, the functional properties related to [Ca(2+) ](i) handling and contraction, the contribution of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) release to contraction and the b-adrenergic inotropic responsiveness. The two iPS clones investigated here were generated through infection of human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) with retroviruses containing the four human genes: OCT4, Sox2, Klf4 and C-Myc. Our major findings showed that iPS-derived cardiomyocytes: (i) express cardiac specific RNA and proteins; (ii) exhibit negative force-frequency relations and mild (compared to adult) post-rest potentiation; (iii) respond to ryanodine and caffeine, albeit less than adult cardiomyocytes, and express the SR-Ca(2+) handling proteins ryanodine receptor and calsequestrin.

The frequency of the H402 allele of CFH and its involvement with age-related maculopathy in an aged Black African Xhosa population.

The H402 allele of the CFH gene is an established risk factor for age-related maculopathy (ARMD) in Caucasians, accounting for approximately 60% of the genetic risk at the population level. In general, the advanced forms of ARMD are rare in Black populations in Africa, as well as Black populations who have lived for generations in the United States or the West Indies, although there are reports that the earlier forms such as drusen may not be all that uncommon. The aim of the present study was to estimate the frequency of the C allele of the CFH Y402H variant in an aged South African Black Xhosa population and to describe the evidence of ARMD found.

Human embryonic stem cell transplantation to repair the infarcted myocardium.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can be guided to form new myocardium by transplantation into the normal or infarcted heart, and to assess the influence of hESC-derived cardiomyocytes (hESCMs) on cardiac function in a rat model of myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: Undifferentiated hESCs (0.5-1x10(6)), human embryoid bodies (hEBs) (4-8 days; 0.

Benchmarks in clinical productivity: a national comprehensive cancer network survey.

Purpose: Oncologists in academic cancer centers usually generate professional fees that are insufficient to cover salaries and other expenses, despite significant clinical activity; therefore, supplemental funding is frequently required in order to support competitive levels of physician compensation. Relative value units (RVUs) allow comparisons of productivity across institutions and practice locations and provide a reasonable point of reference on which funding decisions can be based.

Methods: We reviewed the clinical productivity and other characteristics of oncology physicians practicing in 13 major academic cancer institutions with membership or shared membership in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN).

Vascular cells.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst stage embryo. These self-renewing multipotent cells are able to differentiate to the three embryonic germ layers, the endoderm, ectoderm, and mesoderm, and are thus able to produce virtually all cell types. The ES cell capacity to generate various cell types has been studied extensively, and exploitation of ES cell characteristics allowed the production of several differentiated cell types of multiple tissues.

Human embryonic stem cells for vascular development and repair.

Embryonic stem cells, derived from the inner cell mass of embryos in the blastocyst stage, are cells capable of perpetual self-renewal and long-term propagation and hold the potential to differentiate to progeny of the three embryonic germ layers. Since their derivation approximately two decades ago, exploration of mouse ES cells made major advances in ES cell differentiation research and in the successful development and propagation of various cell types. The subsequent derivation of ES cells from human embryos allows detailed study of early developmental events practically unreachable in early human embryos, and the potential derivation of a variety of adult cell types differentiated from the ES cells holds immense therapeutic promise.

Molecular analysis of cardiomyocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells.

During early embryogenesis, the cardiovascular system is the first system to be established and is initiated by a process involving the hypoblastic cells of the primitive endoderm. Human embryonic stem (hES) cells provide a model to investigate the early developmental stages of this system. When removed from their feeder layer, hESC create embryoid bodies (EB) which, when plated, develop areas of beating cells in 21.