437 research outputs found
The Hawaiian Movement for Statehood
Preface: The Hawaiian movement for statehood is part of the bloodstream of Hawaiian history. Of necessity, therefore, this thesis is an account of those economic, political and cultural forces which bear upon Hawaii\u27s qualifications for full-fledged membership in the American union of states. This study, it is hoped, will furnish sufficient proof that no factor in Hawaiian development has long been able to defy the magnetism which has pulled these mid-Pacific islands closer and closer to the very wellsprings of American life and government. Offered also is the proposition that this magnetism is still at work--that it almost certainly will make statehood for Hawaii a reality. The time element, alone, remains debatable. Due to her isolated, strategic location, her vulnerable economy, and her dependence on shipping, Hawaii\u27s plea for statehood, justly or unjustly, will be weighed at any specific moment with one eye on the state of world affairs. She will be granted statehood only when the American Congress is convinced that she is ready to meet any threat, internal or external, to her existence as an equal political unit in the American commonwealth. One further idea is submitted: that the nations adhering to totalitarian ideologies have yet to offer an example of conquest so devoid of force or indicative of political, cultural and economic vitality as the American conquest of the Hawaiian Islands. While the Hawaiian-propelled movement for statehood is the culminating proof of the success of this conquest, this thesis can do little more than suggest the full story. It is hoped that the future will bring fewer works on Hawaii\u27s scenic and cultural attractions and more, serious studies of one of the remarkable achievements of American civilization.
This thesis is based upon the regrettably few secondary works of value on Hawaiian history, United States government documents, and magazine and newspaper articles. Of particular value have been the materials furnished by the present Hawaiian delegate to Congress, Mr. Joseph R. Farrington, the Washington, D. C., Office of the Hawaii Statehood Commission, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and the Honolulu Advertiser. The study of the question of Communism in the islands was greatly aided by two pamphlets furnished by Mrs. Violet A. Silverman of the Hawaiian Historical Society. The author did not have access to such valuable materials as Hawaiian newspaper files, the publications of the Hawaiian Historical Society and the Hawaiian Archives.
For the making of history and historical research both a pleasure and a challenge, the writer is indebted to all those faculty members of the University of Tennessee History Department under whom she has taken work. Dr. Ruth Stephens not only suggested the subject of the thesis but gave the author that counsel and encouragement through every state of preparation which made this study possible. The thesis has been improved by the helpful suggestions of Dr. Stanley F. Folmsbee and Dr. LeRoy P. Graf. No acknowledgements would be complete without mention of the unfailing consideration and helpfulness of the staff of the University Library
The Accuracy of Accredited Glaucoma Optometrists in the Diagnosis and Treatment Recommendation for Glaucoma
Background/aims: To compare the diagnostic performance of accredited glaucoma optometrists (AGO) for both the diagnosis of, and decision to treat glaucoma with that of routine hospital eye care against a reference standard of expert opinion, i.e. consultant ophthalmologist with a special interest in glaucoma. Methods: A directly comparative, masked, performance study was performed in Grampian, Scotland. 165 people were invited to participate and, of those, 100 (61%) were examined. People suspected of having glaucoma underwent a full ophthalmic assessment both in a newly established, community optometry led, glaucoma management scheme and in a consultant led hospital eye service within a month. Results: The agreement between the AGO and the consultant ophthalmologist in the diagnosis of glaucoma was substantial (89%, kappa = 0.703, SE=0.083). The agreement regarding the need for treatment was also substantial (88%, kappa = 0.716, SE =0.076). The agreement between the trainee ophthalmologists and the consultant ophthalmologist in the diagnosis of glaucoma and treatment recommendation were moderate (83%, kappa = 0.541, SE = 0.098, SE = 0.98; and 81%, kappa = 0.553, SE = 0.90, respectively). The diagnostic accuracy of the optometrists in detecting glaucoma in this population was high for specificity (0.93 [95% CI 0.85 to 0.97]) but lower for sensitivity at 0.76 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.89). The performance was similar when accuracy was assessed for treatment recommendation (sensitivity, 0.73[95% CI 0.57 to 0.85]; specificity 0.96[95% CI 0.88 to 0.99]). The differences in sensitivity and specificity between AGO and junior ophthalmologist was not statistically significant.Conclusions: Community optometrists trained in glaucoma provided satisfactory decisions regarding diagnosis and initiation of treatment for glaucoma. With such additional training in glaucoma optometrists are at least as accurate as junior ophthalmologists but some cases of glaucoma missed.Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Executive Health Departmen
Regulation of Fibrin Clot Structure by the Fibrinogen α- and γ-chains and its Relationship to Thrombosis
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a group of conditions that primarily affect the circulatory system. CVD is the leading cause of death worldwide, with thrombosis being a key contributor. Fibrin is a central component of the thrombus, and its structural and functional properties can influence thrombi function and impact the success of treatment. Fibrinogen is a protein composed of 3 pairs of polypeptide chains (Aα,Bβ,γ)2, and the conversion to fibrin by thrombin, releasing the fibrinopeptides, forms a fibrous network supporting the clot.
Both the α- and γ-chains of fibrinogen are critical to protein function, but the exact functional regions are only partially understood. This requires further research, particularly as α- and γ chain variants, including y’, are associated with bleeding and thrombotic conditions. To delineate the roles of these chains on fibrin network characteristics, recombinant fibrinogen variants were produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Five γ’-chain truncations were produced, each displaying sequentially four less residues, together with full-length homodimer. Two αC-region truncations were produced; α390 (lacking the αC-domain) and α220 (missing the entire αC-region). Fibrinogens were studied in purified protein, plasma, and whole blood systems.
αC-region truncations altered clot structure, with α390 producing a denser clot composed of thinner fibres, while α220 resulted in a porous structure with stunted fibres and limited longitudinal fibre growth. Complete loss of the αC-region prevented whole blood clot contraction. Fibrinogen with γ’-chain residues showed fibre curvature and was mechanically weaker compared to wild-type.
The addition of γ’-fibrinogen to fibrinogen-deficient plasma produced clots with reduced maximum optical density without hindering whole blood clot contraction or incorporation of RBC or platelets.
This thesis highlights the distinct roles of the αC-domain and αC-connector in fibrin formation, fibre growth, clot structure and stability and shows that γ’-chain residues influence clot structure and decrease mechanical stability
Alcohol Awareness for College Students
Copyright © 1976 The Johns Hopkins University Press. This article first appeared in Journal of College Student Personnel, September 1976, pages 438-439.Other PUBLICATIONS and PAPERS concerning alcohol, drug or health education methods and programs can be found at: https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/17128/browse?type=title; https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/17135/browse?type=title; https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/17138/browse?type=title or https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/17124/browse?type=title.This article describes steps in developing and alcohol awareness program on the college campus
Use of drug therapy in the management of symptomatic ureteric stones in hospitalized adults (SUSPEND), a multicentre, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of a calcium-channel blocker (nifedipine) and an α-blocker (tamsulosin) : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Gene expression profiling in whole blood identifies distinct biological pathways associated with obesity
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Obesity is reaching epidemic proportions and represents a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To explore the relationship between increased body mass and gene expression in blood, we conducted whole-genome expression profiling of whole blood from seventeen obese and seventeen well matched lean subjects. Gene expression data was analyzed at the individual gene and pathway level and a preliminary assessment of the predictive value of blood gene expression profiles in obesity was carried out.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Principal components analysis of whole-blood gene expression data from obese and lean subjects led to efficient separation of the two cohorts. Pathway analysis by gene-set enrichment demonstrated increased transcript levels for genes belonging to the "ribosome", "apoptosis" and "oxidative phosphorylation" pathways in the obese cohort, consistent with an altered metabolic state including increased protein synthesis, enhanced cell death from proinflammatory or lipotoxic stimuli, and increased energy demands. A subset of pathway-specific genes acted as efficient predictors of obese or lean class membership when used in Naive Bayes or logistic regression based classifiers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study provides a comprehensive characterization of the whole blood transcriptome in obesity and demonstrates that the investigation of gene expression profiles from whole blood can inform and illustrate the biological processes related to regulation of body mass. Additionally, the ability of pathway-related gene expression to predict class membership suggests the feasibility of a similar approach for identifying clinically useful blood-based predictors of weight loss success following dietary or surgical interventions.</p
Comparison of a dietary record using reported portion size versus standard portion size for assessing nutrient intake
Objective: Because the percentage of missing portion sizes was large in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS), careful consideration of the accuracy of standard portion sizes was necessary. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the consequences of using standard portion size instead of reported portion sizes on subjects\u27 nutrient intake.
Methods: In 2307 men and 411 women, nutrient intake calculated from a 3-day dietary record using reported portion sizes was compared with nutrient intake calculated from the same record in which standard portion sizes were substituted for reported portion sizes.
Results: The standard portion sizes provided significantly lower estimates (≥ 20%) of energy and nutrient intakes than the reported portion sizes. Spearman correlation coefficients obtained by the two methods were high, ranging from 0.67 to 0.93. Furthermore, the agreement between both methods was fairly good. Thus, in the ACLS the use of standard portion sizes rather than reported portion sizes did not appear to be suitable to assess the absolute intake at the group level, but appeared to lead to a good ranking of individuals according to nutrient intake. These results were confirmed by the Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII), in which the assessment of the portion size was optimal. When the standard portion sizes were adjusted using the correction factor, the ability of the standard portion sizes to assess the absolute nutrient intake at the group level was considerably improved.
Conclusions: This study suggests that the adjusted standard portion sizes may be able to replace missing portion sizes in the ACLS database
Clinical and Genetic Association of Serum Ceruloplasmin with Cardiovascular Risk
Objective—Ceruloplasmin (Cp) is an acute-phase reactant that is increased in inflammatory diseases and in acute coronary syndromes. Cp has recently been shown to possess nitric oxide (NO) oxidase catalytic activity, but its impact on long-term cardiovascular outcomes in stable cardiac patients has not been explored. Methods and Results—We examined serum Cp levels and their relationship with incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; death, myocardial infarction [MI], stroke) over 3-year follow-up in 4177 patients undergoing elective coronary angiography. We also carried out a genome-wide association study to identify the genetic determinants of serum Cp levels and evaluate their relationship to prevalent and incident cardiovascular risk. In our cohort (age 63±11 years, 66% male, 32% history of MI, 31% diabetes mellitus), mean Cp level was 24±6 mg/dL. Serum Cp level was associated with greater risk of MI at 3 years (hazard ratio [quartile 4 versus 1] 2.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.79–3.09, P\u3c0.001). After adjustment for traditional risk factors, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and creatinine clearance, Cp remained independently predictive of MACE (hazard ratio 1.55, 95% CI 1.10–2.17, P=0.012). A 2-stage genome-wide association study identified a locus on chromosome 3 over the CP gene that was significantly associated with Cp levels (lead single-nucleotide polymorphism rs13072552; P=1.90×10−11). However, this variant, which leads to modestly increased serum Cp levels (≈1.5–2 mg/dL per minor allele copy), was not associated with coronary artery disease or future risk of MACE. Conclusion—In stable cardiac patients, serum Cp provides independent risk prediction of long-term adverse cardiac events. Genetic variants at the CP locus that modestly affect serum Cp levels are not associated with prevalent or incident risk of coronary artery disease in this study population
Clinical and Genetic Association of Serum Ceruloplasmin with Cardiovascular Risk
Objective—Ceruloplasmin (Cp) is an acute-phase reactant that is increased in inflammatory diseases and in acute coronary syndromes. Cp has recently been shown to possess nitric oxide (NO) oxidase catalytic activity, but its impact on long-term cardiovascular outcomes in stable cardiac patients has not been explored. Methods and Results—We examined serum Cp levels and their relationship with incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; death, myocardial infarction [MI], stroke) over 3-year follow-up in 4177 patients undergoing elective coronary angiography. We also carried out a genome-wide association study to identify the genetic determinants of serum Cp levels and evaluate their relationship to prevalent and incident cardiovascular risk. In our cohort (age 63±11 years, 66% male, 32% history of MI, 31% diabetes mellitus), mean Cp level was 24±6 mg/dL. Serum Cp level was associated with greater risk of MI at 3 years (hazard ratio [quartile 4 versus 1] 2.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.79–3.09, P\u3c0.001). After adjustment for traditional risk factors, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and creatinine clearance, Cp remained independently predictive of MACE (hazard ratio 1.55, 95% CI 1.10–2.17, P=0.012). A 2-stage genome-wide association study identified a locus on chromosome 3 over the CP gene that was significantly associated with Cp levels (lead single-nucleotide polymorphism rs13072552; P=1.90×10−11). However, this variant, which leads to modestly increased serum Cp levels (≈1.5–2 mg/dL per minor allele copy), was not associated with coronary artery disease or future risk of MACE. Conclusion—In stable cardiac patients, serum Cp provides independent risk prediction of long-term adverse cardiac events. Genetic variants at the CP locus that modestly affect serum Cp levels are not associated with prevalent or incident risk of coronary artery disease in this study population
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