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.

Occupational stress among university teachers

Abstract: The Person‐Environment Fit model was used to analyse the lack of fit (misfit) between motivational style and job rewards as a contributing factor in developing occupational stress symptoms in unive...

Mineral trioxide aggregate stimulates a biological response in human osteoblasts

Abstract: We report a novel material that appears to stimulate cytokine production in human osteoblasts and allow good adherence of the cells to the material. We have examined cultured osteoblasts (MG-63) in the presence of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) as set in moist conditions; secondly, we examined the behavior of these MG-63 cells with respect to cytokine and osteocalcin production and alkaline phosphatase activity. Standard ELISA assays were used for assessment of interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), and osteocalcin. Furthermore the levels of alkaline phosphatase were measured to establish the level of differentiation of the cells. Cells without MTA served as controls. Cells also were grown in the presence of polymethylmethacrylate (PMA), the commonly used orthopedic cement. In all dishes cells were seen adhering to the base and MTA at 6 h and had increased to confluence at 144 h. IL-1 alpha (175.1 +/- 32.6 pg/mL), IL-1 beta (154.0 +/- 26.7 pg/mL), and IL-6 (214.7 +/- 21.8 pg/mL) were raised when the cells were grown in the presence of MTA at 144 h, with raised values at all time intervals. M-CSF appeared to be unaffected although the overall value was high (7,045.0 +/- 89.5 pg/mL). In contrast, cells grown in the absence of MTA produced negligible amounts of these cytokines (< pg/mL) as did those cells grown in the presence of PMA. Osteocalcin production increased when cells were grown on MTA from 3.8 +/- 0.87 ng/mL to 19.7 +/- 2.8 ng/mL. No osteocalcin could be detected with PMA. Cells in contact with MTA also appeared to have levels of alkaline phosphatase similar to those reported elsewhere (4.3 +/- 0.21 mumol/mg protein/min). No cells could be found attached to PMA and so no alkaline phosphatase activity could be measured.

Dietary Risk Factors for Colon Cancer in a Low-risk Population

Abstract: In a 6-year prospective study, the authors examined the relation between diet and incident colon cancer among 32,051 non-Hispanic white cohort members of the Adventist Health Study (California, 1976-1982) who, at baseline, had no documented or reported history of cancer. The risk of colon cancer was determined from proportional hazards regression with adjustment for age and other covariates. The authors found a positive association with total meat intake (risk ratio (RR) for > or =1 time/week vs. no meat intake = 1.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19-2.87; p for trend = 0.01) and, among subjects who favored specific types of meat, positive associations with red meat intake (RR for > or =1 time/week vs. no red meat intake = 1.90, 95% CI 1.16-3.11; p for trend = 0.02) and white meat intake (RR for > or =1 time/week vs. no white meat intake = 3.29, 95% CI 1.60-6.75; p for trend = 0.006). An inverse association with legume intake (RR for >2 times/week vs. 25.6 kg/m2) vs. tertile I (<22.5 kg/m2) = 2.63, 95% CI 1.12-6.13; p for trend = 0.05). A complex relation was identified whereby subjects exhibiting a high red meat intake, a low legume intake, and a high body mass experienced a more than threefold elevation in risk relative to all other patterns based on these variables. This pattern of putative risk factors would likely contribute to increases in both insulin resistance (high body mass, high red meat intake) and glycemic load (low legume intake), a synergism that, if causal, implicates hyperinsulinemic exposure in colon carcinogenesis. The overall findings from this cohort identify both red meat intake and white meat intake as important dietary risk factors for colon cancer and raise the possibility that the risk due to red meat intake reflects a more complex etiology.

A review of vagus nerve stimulation as a therapeutic intervention.

Abstract: In this review, we provide an overview of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved clinical uses of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as well as information about the ongoing studies and preclinical research to expand the use of VNS to additional applications. VNS is currently FDA approved for therapeutic use in patients aged >12 years with drug-resistant epilepsy and depression. Recent studies of VNS in in vivo systems have shown that it has anti-inflammatory properties which has led to more preclinical research aimed at expanding VNS treatment across a wider range of inflammatory disorders. Although the signaling pathway and mechanism by which VNS affects inflammation remain unknown, VNS has shown promising results in treating chronic inflammatory disorders such as sepsis, lung injury, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and diabetes. It is also being used to control pain in fibromyalgia and migraines. This new preclinical research shows that VNS bears the promise of being applied to a wider range of therapeutic applications.