Loma Linda University

About: Loma Linda University is a education organization based out in Loma Linda, California, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 9220 authors who have published 13485 publications receiving 447094 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Loma Linda.

Accelerated degradation of FADD and procaspase 8 in cells expressing human papilloma virus 16 E6 impairs TRAIL-mediated apoptosis.

Abstract: Viruses have developed sophisticated strategies to evade host defenses and facilitate the production and spread of progeny. In this study, we show that transfection of the human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 E6 oncogene into HCT116 cells provides protection from tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated apoptosis. Additionally, we demonstrate that the protection provided by E6 is dose-dependent because higher levels of E6 provide greater protection. The mechanism underlying this protection involves a rapid reduction in the protein levels of both Fas-associated death domain (FADD) and procaspase 8, which results in suppression of the activation of caspases 8, 3 and 2. Interestingly, E6 does not interfere with the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway even though HCT116 cells have been classified as type II cells with regard to TRAIL signaling. These findings demonstrate that E6 has a more generalized effect on signaling by death ligands than was previously thought and support the notion that E6 can utilize p53-independent mechanisms to modulate cell survival.

Prevalence and determinants of adolescent tobacco smoking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract: Background Tobacco smoking is a growing public health problem in the developing world. There is paucity of data on smoking and predictors of smoking among school-going adolescents in most of sub-Saharan Africa. Hence, the aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of smoking and its associations among school-going adolescents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Effects of weak amplitude-modulated microwave fields on calcium efflux from awake cat cerebral cortex.

Abstract: Calcium (45Ca2+) efflux was studied from preloaded cortex in cats immobilized under local anesthesia, and exposed to a 3.0-mW/cm2 450-MHz field, sinusoidally amplitude modulated at 16 Hz modulation depth 85%). Tissue dosimetry showed a field of 33 V/m in the interhemispheric fissure (rate of energy deposition 0.29 W/kg). Field exposure lasted 60 min. By comparison with controls, efflux curves from field exposed brains were disrupted by waves of increased 45Ca2+ efflux. These waves were irregular in amplitude and duration, but many exhibited periods of 20-30 min. They continued into the postexposure period. Binomial probability analysis indicates that the field-exposed efflux curves constitute a different population from controls at a confidence level of 0.96. In about 70% of cases, initiation of field exposure was followed by increased end-tidal CO2 excretion for about 5 min. However, hypercapnea induced by hypoventilation did not elicit increased 45Ca2+ efflux. Thus this increase with exposure does not appear to arise as a secondary effect of raised cerebral CO2 levels. Radioactivity measurements in cortical samples after superfusion showed 45Ca2+ penetration at about 1.7 mm/hr, consistent with diffusion of the ion in free solution.