Extenuating circumstances: The University of South Dakota Physician Assistant Studies program.

During the course of graduating 15 classes of physician assistant students at The University of South Dakota much has evolved, yet our ultimate goal remains the same: To meet the needs of South Dakota and the region. The inaugural class graduated in 1995, making this year our 15th graduating class. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief historical background and to describe the evolution of the Physician Assistant Studies program.

Regional Infant and Child Mortality Review Committee: 2009 final report.

The 2009 annual report of the Regional Infant and Child Mortality Review Committee (RICMRC) is presented. Since 1997, RICMRC has sought to achieve its mission to "review infant and child deaths so that information can be transformed into action to protect young lives." For the year 2009, the Committee reviewed 23 deaths from Minnehaha, Turner, Lincoln, Moody, Lake, McCook, Union, Hanson, Miner and Brookings counties that met the following criteria: Children under age 18 dying subsequent to hospital discharge following delivery.

An aggressive "double-hit" lymphoma occurring in a 42-year-old male with both MYC and t(14;18) translocations.

We describe a 42-year-old male who was in good health until he presented with a high grade B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma/leukemia that had both MYC and t(14;18) translocations. This process has now been classified as "B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable, with features intermediate between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma," according to the 2008 World Health Organization Classification of Tumours of Haematopoitic and Lymphoid Tissues. The clinical presentation, pathologic work-up including examination of the peripheral blood, lymph node biopsy, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy are included.

Interrater, intra-rater and internal consistency reliability of the Theory Application Assessment Instrument.

Aim: To investigate the interrater, intra-rater and internal consistency reliability of the Theory Application Assessment Instrument, a tool for testing competency in combining multiple theoretical conceptual practice models in client evaluation and treatment planning.

Methods: The assessment was administered to 27 graduate students in two phases. The principal investigator rated the participants on the assessment scale on two separate occasions.

Weight-loss supplements: what is the evidence?

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in this country. In an effort to address this major public health problem, people have adopted a variety of strategies. These include medical and surgical interventions, both rational and fad diets, exercise and assorted weight-loss dietary supplements.

The role of the proteasome in heart disease.

Intensive investigations into the pathophysiological significance of the proteasome in the heart did not start until the beginning of the past decade but exciting progress has been made and summarized here as two fronts. First, strong evidence continues to emerge to support a novel hypothesis that proteasome functional insufficiency represents a common pathological phenomenon in a large subset of heart disease, compromises protein quality control in heart muscle cells, and thereby acts as a major pathogenic factor promoting the progression of the subset of heart disease to congestive heart failure. This front is represented by the studies on the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in cardiac proteinopathy, which have taken advantage of a transgenic mouse model expressing a fluorescence reporter for UPS proteolytic function.

Properties of cannabinoid-dependent long-term depression in the leech.

Previously, a cannabinoid-dependent form of long-term depression (LTD) was discovered at the polysynaptic connection between the touch mechanosensory neuron and the S interneuron (Li and Burrell in J Comp Physiol A 195:831-841, 2009). In the present study, the physiological properties of this cannabinoid-dependent LTD were examined. Increases in intracellular calcium in the S interneuron are necessary for this form of LTD in this circuit.

Protein quality control in protection against systolic overload cardiomyopathy: the long term role of small heat shock proteins.

Molecular chaperones represent the first line of defense of intracellular protein quality control. As a major constituent of molecular chaperones, heat shock proteins (HSP) are known to confer cardiomyocyte short-term protection against various insults and injuries. Previously, we reported that the small HSP alphaB-crystallin (CryAB) attenuates cardiac hypertrophic response in mice subjected to 2 weeks of severe pressure overload.

COP9 signalosome subunit 8 is required for postnatal hepatocyte survival and effective proliferation.

Studies using lower organisms and cultured mammalian cells have revealed that the COP9 signalosome (CSN) has important roles in multiple cellular processes. Conditional gene targeting was recently used to study CSN function in murine T-cell development and activation. Using the Cre-loxP system, here we have achieved postnatal hepatocyte-restricted knockout of the csn8 gene (HR-Csn8KO) in mice.

The relationship between brainstem temporal processing and performance on tests of central auditory function in children with reading disorders.

Purpose: Studies using speech stimuli to elicit electrophysiologic responses have found approximately 30% of children with language-based learning problems demonstrate abnormal brainstem timing. Research is needed regarding how these responses relate to performance on behavioral tests of central auditory function. The purpose of the study was to investigate performance of children with dyslexia with and without abnormal brainstem timing and children with no history of learning or related disorders on behavioral tests of central auditory function.

Interference with islet-specific homing of autoreactive T cells: an emerging therapeutic strategy for type 1 diabetes.

Pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes involves the activation of autoimmune T cells, consequent homing of activated lymphocytes to the pancreatic islets and ensuing destruction of insulin-producing b cells. Interaction between activated lymphocytes and endothelial cells in the islets is the hallmark of the homing process. Initial adhesion, firm adhesion and diapedesis of lymphocytes are the three crucial steps involved in the homing process.

Event-level associations between affect, alcohol intoxication, and acute dependence symptoms: Effects of urgency, self-control, and drinking experience.

This study used experience sampling to examine within-person associations between positive affect, anxiety, sadness, and hostility and two outcomes: alcohol intoxication and acute dependence symptoms. We examined the role of urgency, premeditation, and perseverance in predicting the alcohol outcomes and tested whether the affective associations varied as a function of urgency. Participants completed baseline assessments and 21 days of experience sampling on PDAs.

Interactions of the proteins of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis: clues to function.

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL) are caused by mutations in eight different genes, are characterized by lysosomal accumulation of autofluorescent storage material, and result in a disease that causes degeneration of the central nervous system (CNS). Although functions are defined for some of the soluble proteins that are defective in NCL (cathepsin D, PPT1, and TPP1), the primary function of the other proteins defective in NCLs (CLN3, CLN5, CLN6, CLN7, and CLN8) remain poorly defined. Understanding the localization and network of interactions for these proteins can offer clues as to the function of the NCL proteins and also the pathways that will be disrupted in their absence.

Pd-MCM-48: a novel recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for chemo- and regioselective hydrogenation of olefins and coupling reactions.

A novel, heterogeneous Pd-MCM-48 catalyst has been developed by encapsulating palladium nanoparticles into the cubic phase of mesoporous MCM-48 matrix at room temperature. The catalyst demonstrated excellent chemo- and regioselectivity for the hydrogenation of olefins at room temperature within 30-80 min. The turnover frequency for the hydrogenation is very high (4400 h(-1)).

Reciprocal communication between endometrial stromal cells and macrophages.

This study tested the hypothesis that reciprocal communication occurs between macrophages and cultured human endometrial stromal cells and that this communication may contribute to the pathology of endometriosis. An endometrial stromal cell line (telomerase-immortalized human endometrial stromal cell [T-HESC]) was treated with macrophage-conditioned medium (CM) +/- estradiol + progesterone. Macrophages were treated without or with T-HESC CM.

Proteasome functional insufficiency activates the calcineurin-NFAT pathway in cardiomyocytes and promotes maladaptive remodelling of stressed mouse hearts.

Aims: Proteasome functional insufficiency (PFI) may play an important role in the progression of congestive heart failure but the underlying molecular mechanism is poorly understood. Calcineurin and nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) are degraded by the proteasome, and the calcineurin-NFAT pathway mediates cardiac remodelling. The present study examined the hypothesis that PFI activates the calcineurin-NFAT pathway and promotes maladaptive remodelling of the heart.

In dystrophic hamsters losartan affects control of ventilation and dopamine D1 receptor density.

The BIO 14.6 hamster (DV), an animal model of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, has elevated angiotensin AT1 receptors that may affect ventilation. Moreover, AT1 receptors may modulate expression of dopamine D1 receptors.

Analyzing and Critiquing Occupational Therapy Practice Models Using Mosey's Extrapolation Method.

Over time, there has been a persistent gap between theory and practice in occupational therapy. In this paper, it is suggested that this gap could be decreased by enhancing therapists' knowledge and understanding of the nature of theory. Mosey's (1996a) 9-step extrapolation method of developing theoretical conceptual practice models is proposed as one way of improving clinicians' understanding of the structure of theoretical conceptual practice models and knowing how to analyze and critique them to determine their usefulness in specific clinical contexts.

South Dakota accidental childhood deaths, 2000-2007: what can we do?

Introduction: Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death in children around the world and are an under-recognized public health problem in the United States.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to highlight the nature of the problem in South Dakota and outline interventions that have been successful in reducing childhood injuries in other states.

Methods: This quantitative retrospective study examined mortality files in South Dakota for children birth to 19 years of age who died between January 1, 2000 to December 28, 2007.

Interplay between the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy in proteinopathies.

Proteinopathies are a family of human disease caused by toxic aggregation-prone proteins and featured by the presence of protein aggregates in the affected cells. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy are two major intracellular protein degradation pathways. The UPS mediates the targeted degradation of most normal proteins after performing their normal functions as well as the removal of abnormal, soluble proteins.

Surgical treatment of prostate cancer: what to do?

Although there is a paucity of prospective studies comparing surgical treatment of prostate cancer to other treatments, surgical treatment is usually recommended for men with a good chance for cure who have ten or more years life expectancy. Proper selection of men undergoing surgery is critical to achieve cures and minimize side effects. Laparoscopic and robotic prostatectomy have become the predominant approach for surgery despite a very slow learning curve, greater expense, and higher dissatisfaction rates compared to more traditional approaches.