Identification of novel biomarkers in postmenopausal osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a degenerative disorder characterised by a reduction in bone strength manifesting itself in fragility fractures. Current diagnosis relies on the measurement o f bone mineral density (BMD) generated by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanners. Serological markers of disease or biomarkers, present themselves as a useful and potentially inexpensive methodology o f assessing disease status. Proteomic technologies utilised on biofluids have proven themselves as capable o f identifying candidate biomarkers of disease. The aim of the work in this thesis was to utilise proteomic platforms 2D DIGE and antibody array technology to identify candidate markers of osteopenia and osteoporosis. 2D DIGE was utilised to analyse serum from 36 postmenopausal women with a decline in BMD. Prior to analysis, a serum depletion strategy was developed utilising the Seppro® IgY14 Spin Column with an altered protocol resulting serum being produced depleted o f 14 abundant proteins. 16 unique protein identifications resulted from the 2D DIGE study. Levels o f both glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vitronectin, were elevated in postmenopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis compared with normal by ELISA (p\u3c0.05). Analysis of the area under the curve (AUC) generated b y receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, ascertained that the combination o f measurement o f GFAP and vitronectin produced the optimum specific ity and sensitivity levels (0.825). Antibody array analys is of whole serum taken from 101 postmenopausal women identified 156 significantly differentially expressed proteins (p\u3c0.0001). Levels of Dickkop f-1 (Dkkl) were sign ificantly inversely correlated with BM D parameters (p\u3c0.05) and Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (WIFI) was elevated in the osteoporosis group compared with both normal and osteopenia (p\u3c0.05). Dkk1 and WIF1 combined produced the best AUC values for identifying individua ls with osteopenia from those with osteoporosis (0.736). Measuring circulating levels o f Dkk1, WIF1, GFAP and vitronectin both alone and in combination, is a promising methodology for assessing BMD

Listen in the Library: Music Therapy Student Musicians

The monthly concert series, Listen in the Library, featured student performers in library spaces on the Logan campus. These short, pop-up concerts were one of the ways the USU Libraries was involved in USU’s “Year of the Arts” in 2017-2018. While the library regularly features students’ visual art and exhibits, Listen in the Library brought the performing arts into the space, making student accomplishments in music audible and visible to a community outside the concert hall.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/music_programs/1158/thumbnail.jp

Defining breast cancer awareness and identifying barriers to breast cancer awareness for women with an intellectual disability: A review of the literature

Introduction: Incidence rates for developing breast cancer are similar for women regardless of intellectual ability. However, women with an intellectual disability present with advanced breast cancers, which often have a poor prognosis. Method: A structured narrative review of the literature was performed to explore the concepts of breast awareness and breast cancer awareness and subsequently, identify barriers to breast cancer awareness encountered by women with an intellectual disability. Results: A total of 22 studies involving people with varying levels of intellectual disability informed this review. The barriers to breast cancer awareness encountered by women with an intellectual disability include: lack of their understanding, the role of the carer and literacy issues. Conclusion: Identifying the barriers to breast cancer awareness for women with an intellectual disability will help to facilitate breast cancer awareness which has the potential to result in better long-term outcomes through an early diagnosis of breast cancer

Lessons learned from 11 countries on programs promoting intergenerational solidarity

Objective: The goal of this project was to develop a systematic framework through which interventions promoting intergenerational solidarity in 11 countries could be assessed. Background: Although intergenerational solidarity—the exchange of material, social, and emotional support and care between family generations—benefits both the country's economic well-being (macro-level) and the individual's physical, mental, and social well-being (micro-level), decreasing intergenerational solidarity is evident in many industrialized countries. Interventions promoting intergenerational solidarity are increasingly being developed, but few are described in the literature. Moreover, no unifying framework describing them exists. Method: Representatives from 11 countries convened to identify interventions promoting intergenerational solidarity. After several meetings, a unifying framework was created. Representatives selected a convenience sample of programs and abstracted information based on the framework. Results: The outcome of social well-being was virtually ubiquitous in most programs. Countries appeared to take a broad view of intergenerational solidarity, focusing on interactions among generations, rather than interactions within families. Discussion and Implications: The framework enabled the systematic abstraction and assessment of programs. Most programs had no standard method of evaluating their outcomes. Longitudinal evaluations would be optimal if we want to identify the best practices in intergenerational solidarity programs

Metabarcoding of shrimp stomach content: harnessing a natural sampler for fish biodiversity monitoring

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Siegenthaler, A., Wangensteen Fuentes, O.S., Soto, A.Z., Benvenuto, C., Corrigan, L, & Mariani, S. (2018). Metabarcoding of shrimp stomach content: harnessing a natural sampler for fish biodiversity monitoring. Molecular Ecology Resources. https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12956, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12956. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.Given their positioning and biological productivity, estuaries have long represented key providers of ecosystem services, and consequently remain under remarkable pressure from numerous forms of anthropogenic impact. The monitoring of fish communities in space and time are one of the most widespread and established approaches to assess the ecological status of estuaries and other coastal habitats, but traditional fish surveys are invasive, costly, labour intensive and highly selective. Recently, the application of metabarcoding techniques, on either sediment or aqueous environmental DNA, has rapidly gained popularity. Here, we evaluate the application of a novel, high through‐put DNA‐based monitoring tool to assess fish diversity, based on the analysis of the gut contents of a generalist predator/scavenger, the European brown shrimp, Crangon crangon. Sediment and shrimp samples were collected from eight European estuaries and DNA metabarcoding (using both 12S and COI markers) was carried out to infer fish assemblage composition. We detected 32 teleost species (16 and 20, for 12S and COI respectively). Twice as many species were recovered using metabarcoding than by traditional net surveys. By comparing and interweaving trophic, environmental DNA and traditional survey‐based techniques, we show that the DNA‐assisted gut content analysis of a ubiquitous, easily accessible, generalist species may serve as a powerful, rapid and cost‐effective tool for large scale, routine estuarine biodiversity monitoring

Moving Forward: New frontiers in treatments for psychological trauma

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Kiyimba, N. (2019). Moving Forward: New frontiers in treatments for psychological trauma. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 19(2), 102-104, which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/capr.12218. This article may be used for non commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley terms and Conditions for Use of Self Archived Versions. Editorial from special section editor.Both the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual (DSM 5), and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) embed PTSD (and complex PTSD in the ICD-11) as categories of mental health disorders. Although these classification tools offer criteria by which patients can be assessed as to whether they meet the criteria for diagnosis of PTSD, or complex PTSD, they are not able to provide guidance on treatment options. This special section of Counselling and Psychotherapy Research showcases three very new approaches to working with psychological trauma. The first paper by Kip and Finnegan introduces Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), which is a brief intervention protocol that is already demonstrating very promising early results, particularly within the military veterans community of those also experiencing traumatic brain injury (TBI). The second paper by psychiatrists Frank Corrigan and Alistair Hull, demonstrates the ways in which the Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM) is an excellent choice of treatment for those suffering from complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). The third paper by Brochmann et al., explores the ways in which therapists can work effectively with groups of people who have experienced psychological trauma. Regarding the impetus of moving forward in tailoring treatments for those experiencing PTSD, the papers presented in this special issue provide a valuable starting point to discussions about treatments best suited for particular sub-populations of PTSD sufferers

Muses

Utah State University\u27s music therapy students present a concert on Muses.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/music_programs/1138/thumbnail.jp