Examining The Attitudes and Opinions of Bipolar Disorder Pre- And Post-educational Session in Individuals Affected with Bipolar Disorder and First-degree Relatives of Individuals Affected with Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a serious psychiatric condition that causes shifts in mood, energy levels, and the ability to complete daily activities. An estimated 1% of the United States’ population is affected with BPD. In affected individuals, BPD can cause relationship problems, poor performance at work/school, substance abuse, and suicide. For these reasons, BPD is associated with a significant amount of morbidity and is a substantial public health concern. Studies indicate that BPD is a multifactorial condition and although several candidate genes have been suggested, no single gene has been successfully identified. Recurrence risk for unaffected individuals that have one first-degree relative with BPD is 5-30%. Research to identify the predisposing genes of BPD is ongoing. It is likely genetic counseling and testing for BPD will become routine in the future. This study is designed to analyze the knowledge, attitudes, and opinions regarding BPD and genetic testing for BPD. In order to capture those most likely to seek genetic testing and counseling for BPD, the target populations were individuals affected with BPD and first-degree relatives of individuals affected with BPD. The public health significance is that understanding the attitudes and opinions of these populations may help reduce the burden of the disease. Participants were consented and took anonymous surveys over the telephone. They answered multiple choice knowledge questions and rated their level of agreement to statements, based on the Health Belief Model (HBM), about bipolar disorder and genetic testing. By rating their level of agreement on a 5-point Likert scale, their health beliefs in the categories of perceived severity, susceptibility, benefits, and barriers were analyzed. Participants then participated in an educational session and took an identical survey. Results indicate that the knowledge about BPD significantly increased following the educational session. The attitudes and opinions of primary affected individuals and first-degree relatives did not differ significantly pre-educational session in the HBM categories, however did differ significantly post-educational session in perceived severity. Neither population differed significantly among themselves pre- and post-educational session. When individual statements were analyzed, affected individuals were more moderate in concerns of having a child with BP

Identification of physiological substrates of Plasmodium falciparum PfPK5, a CDK-like kinase

Malaria is one of the most devastating infectious diseases causing 1-3 million fatalities a year. The majority of these cases occur amongst children in developing countries. Malarial strains in these areas are exhibiting increasing resistance to canonical treatments proving the importance of new drug targets for anti-malarials. Identification of new drug targets is dependent upon a better understanding of the molecular biology of the parasitic agent of malaria, Plasmodium. The regulation of Plasmodium\u27s complex life cycle is still not well understood. Elucidation of signaling pathways involved in Plasmodium cell cycle regulation will provide insights into how the parasite thrives in human cells. A subset of kinases, referred to as cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), are crucial regulators of eukaryotic cell cycle progression. In silico studies show high homology between mammalian CDK\u27s and a group of CDK-like Plasmodium kinases including PfPK5 (Plasmodium falciparum protein kinase 5). Plasmodium homologues to CDK regulators, cyclins, have also been identified. Understanding the role of PfPK5 in cell cycle regulation would require analysis of subcellular localization and cell cycle-dependent expression. Immunofluorescence assays demonstrate that PfPK5 is localized in the nucleus. PfPK5\u27s expression profile, as determined by western blotting, shows highest expression in the schizont stage, the stage when the atypical multiple nucleated form of the parasite is observed. Possible PfPK5 interacting partners were detected by performing an anti-PfPK5 immunoprecipitation assay. Additionally, a hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged PfPK5 construct was made to increase the sensitivity of immunoprecipitation assay and identification of PfPK5 interacting partners. The characterization of PfPK5 and its interacting partners may prove useful in identification of novel drug targets in the future

The Abuse of Confidence as a Major Theme in the Novels of Henry James

All of the aforementioned factors--love, money, the abuse of confidence, the guilt growing out of it, the response of the victim--contribute to the moral view constantly evolving towards an ultimate statement in the three novels of James's maturity. This thesis will attempt to explicate in full that statement. For James's theme of abuse of confidence, together with all of its elements, was in itself only the vehicle of a finely attuned moral awareness

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from pulmonary artery a late presentation—Case report and review of literature

AbstractAn otherwise healthy 26-year-old female presented with sudden cardiac arrest. She was resuscitated with unsynchronized cardioversion for ventricular fibrillation. A left heart cardiac catheterization showed anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA). Cardiac computed tomographic angiography confirmed this abnormality. She underwent direct translocation of the left main coronary artery to the aorta, and after a stormy postoperative course was discharged home.ALCAPA is a rare congenital abnormality of the coronary system that is associated with early infant mortality and adult sudden death. The use of advanced cardiac imaging has resulted in an increase in the number of diagnosed ALCAPA cases, especially in the adult population, sometimes even in the asymptomatic. The extent of collateral circulation that develops between the right coronary artery and the left coronary artery determines the outcome; the more collateral circulation there is, the less the hypoxic damage to the ventricle. This not only informs us that people survive ALCAPA into adulthood but also highlights the importance for adult cardiologists to be aware of this interesting disease. Corrective surgery remains the treatment of choice. We present a rare case of ALCAPA, with first presentation in adulthood in the form of a malignant ventricular arrhythmia.<Learning objective: Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare congenital abnormality of the coronary system that is associated with early infant mortality and adult sudden death. Hence we feel it is most important to be aware of this entity, especially as the incidence of diagnosed ALCAPA is on the rise in adulthood. Also the images provided and the discussion have high educational value for generalists and cardiologists alike.

High-Sensitivity Boron Nitride Sputter Erosion Measurements by Continuous-Wave Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77100/1/AIAA-2008-5091-176.pd

Optical Mass Gauging System for Measuring Liquid Levels in a Reduced Gravity Environment

A compact and rugged fiber-coupled liquid volume sensor designed for flight on a sounding rocket platform is presented. The sensor consists of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer capable of measuring the amount of liquid contained in a tank under any gravitational conditions, including a microgravity environment, by detecting small changes in the index of refraction of the gas contained within a sensing region. By monitoring changes in the interference fringe pattern as the system undergoes a small compression provided by a piston, the ullage volume of a tank can be directly measured allowing for a determination of the liquid volume. To demonstrate the technique, data are acquired using two tanks containing different volumes of liquid, which are representative of the levels of liquid in a tank at different time periods during a mission. The two tanks are independently exposed to the measurement apparatus, allowing for a determination of the liquid level in each. In a controlled, laboratory test of the unit, the system demonstrated a capability of measuring a liquid level in an individual tank of 10.53 mL with a 2% error. The overall random uncertainty for the flight system is higher than that one test, at +/- 1.5 mL