Although professional counselors have distinguished themselves among helping professionals through a focus and foundational framework in normal human growth and development over the life-span, a majority of programs neglect to incorporate training opportunities enabling students to translate developmental theory to clinical practice. In this mixed-method study, the researcher explored the effects of a human developmental counseling application curriculum and examined cognitive complexity levels among counselor trainees. Qualitative results support gains in both the integration and application of developmental content while quantitative results offer partial support for cognitive complexity gains among trainees. This study identifies a curricular training experience in which counselor trainees' integration and application human developmental theory as well as cognitive complexity, are notably enhanced.

No description available.

Šioje daktaro disertacijoje buvo nagrinėjami paviršiaus plazmonų rezonanso (PPR) ir elektrocheminiai imuniniai jutikliai žmogaus augimo hormonui (ŽAH) ir antikūnams prieš žmogaus augimo hormoną (anti-ŽAH) nustatyti bei pritaikyti juos realių mėginių analizei. Šiame darbe buvo nagrinėjami nekryptingas ir kryptingas antikūnų imobilizavimo būdai PPR jutiklio lusto paviršiuje ir tirtas antikūno-antigeno komplekso formavimasis. Buvo nustatyta, kad tinkamiausias iš tirtų anti-ŽAH imobilizavimo PPR jutiklio lusto paviršiuje būdų yra kryptingas anti-ŽAH fragmentų gautų redukuojant anti-ŽAH 2-merkatoetilaminu (2-MEA) imobilizavimas. Atominės jėgos mikroskopijos pagalba buvo stebėti įvairiais būdais modifikuotų PPR jutiklio lusto paviršių skirtumai, kurie parodė, ar fragmentai gauti redukuojant anti-ŽAH buvo tinkamai prijungti prie auksinio PPR jutiklio lusto paviršiaus, o imuninis kompleksas susiformavo dėl specifinės antikūno-antigeno sąveikos. PPR ŽAH imuninis jutiklis pasižymi maža aptikimo riba (3,4 nmol/L), stabilumu, atrankamu. Aktyvus PPR jutiklio lusto paviršius visiškai regeneruojamas, o tai leidžia imuninio jutiklio daugkartinį panaudojimą. Tiesioginio ir netiesioginio tipo PPR anti-ŽAH imuniniai jutikliai buvo tiriami kombinuojant du analizinius metodus – PPR ir elektrocheminius (impulsinė amperometrija (PA) ir ciklinė voltamperometrija (CV)). Anti-ŽAH imuniniai jutikliai pasižymi maža aptikimo riba (0,056, 0,051 ir 0,027 nmol/L, atitinkamai CV, PPR ir PA), stabilumu... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In this doctoral thesis the development of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and electrochemical (EL) immunosensors has been examined and used for the detection of human growth hormone (HGH) and antibodies against human growth hormone (anti-HGH). The designed immunosensors were applied for the real sample analysis. In this research work random and oriented techniques of anti-HGH immobilization on the SPR sensor chip were compared and the interaction between immobilized anti-HGH and HGH was evaluated. Fragments of anti-HGH immobilization via their native thiol-groups directly coupled to the SPR chip is the most suitable technique for the development of an SPR immunosensor for the HGH detection. Fragments of antibody were obtained by chemical reduction of 2-mercaptoethylamine (2-MEA). In our study atomic force microscopy has been successfully applied for the imaging of the the differently modified surfaces. The achieved results indicate how much adequately the fragments of anti-HGH molecules bound onto the gold substrate and how immune complexes were formed. SPR HGH immunosensor is suitable for HGH detection with a limit of detection (3.4 nmol/L), good stability and selectivity. Furthermore, active SPR-chip surface is fully regenerated that allows multiply usage of designed immunosensor. Direct and indirect anti-HGH immunosensor was studied by combining two analytical methods – SPR and EL (pulsedamperometry (PA) and cyclic voltammetry (CV)). The limit of detection values of... [to full text]

Šioje daktaro disertacijoje buvo nagrinėjami paviršiaus plazmonų rezonanso (PPR) ir elektrocheminiai imuniniai jutikliai žmogaus augimo hormonui (ŽAH) ir antikūnams prieš žmogaus augimo hormoną (anti-ŽAH) nustatyti bei pritaikyti juos realių mėginių analizei. Šiame darbe buvo nagrinėjami nekryptingas ir kryptingas antikūnų imobilizavimo būdai PPR jutiklio lusto paviršiuje ir tirtas antikūno-antigeno komplekso formavimasis. Buvo nustatyta, kad tinkamiausias iš tirtų anti-ŽAH imobilizavimo PPR jutiklio lusto paviršiuje būdų yra kryptingas anti-ŽAH fragmentų gautų redukuojant anti-ŽAH 2-merkatoetilaminu (2-MEA) imobilizavimas. Atominės jėgos mikroskopijos pagalba buvo stebėti įvairiais būdais modifikuotų PPR jutiklio lusto paviršių skirtumai, kurie parodė, ar fragmentai gauti redukuojant anti-ŽAH buvo tinkamai prijungti prie auksinio PPR jutiklio lusto paviršiaus, o imuninis kompleksas susiformavo dėl specifinės antikūno-antigeno sąveikos. PPR ŽAH imuninis jutiklis pasižymi maža aptikimo riba (3,4 nmol/L), stabilumu, atrankamu. Aktyvus PPR jutiklio lusto paviršius visiškai regeneruojamas, o tai leidžia imuninio jutiklio daugkartinį panaudojimą. Tiesioginio ir netiesioginio tipo PPR anti-ŽAH imuniniai jutikliai buvo tiriami kombinuojant du analizinius metodus – PPR ir elektrocheminius (impulsinė amperometrija (PA) ir ciklinė voltamperometrija (CV)). Anti-ŽAH imuniniai jutikliai pasižymi maža aptikimo riba (0,056, 0,051 ir 0,027 nmol/L, atitinkamai CV, PPR ir PA), stabilumu... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In this doctoral thesis the development of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and electrochemical (EL) immunosensors has been examined and used for the detection of human growth hormone (HGH) and antibodies against human growth hormone (anti-HGH). The designed immunosensors were applied for the real sample analysis. In this research work random and oriented techniques of anti-HGH immobilization on the SPR sensor chip were compared and the interaction between immobilized anti-HGH and HGH was evaluated. Fragments of anti-HGH immobilization via their native thiol-groups directly coupled to the SPR chip is the most suitable technique for the development of an SPR immunosensor for the HGH detection. Fragments of antibody were obtained by chemical reduction of 2-mercaptoethylamine (2-MEA). In our study atomic force microscopy has been successfully applied for the imaging of the the differently modified surfaces. The achieved results indicate how much adequately the fragments of anti-HGH molecules bound onto the gold substrate and how immune complexes were formed. SPR HGH immunosensor is suitable for HGH detection with a limit of detection (3.4 nmol/L), good stability and selectivity. Furthermore, active SPR-chip surface is fully regenerated that allows multiply usage of designed immunosensor. Direct and indirect anti-HGH immunosensor was studied by combining two analytical methods – SPR and EL (pulsedamperometry (PA) and cyclic voltammetry (CV)). The limit of detection values of... [to full text]

L’imagerie médicale et la 3D, en pleine expansion dans le champ de l'anthropologie biologique, permettent d’explorer les structures internes tout en les préservant. L’étude de la micro-architecture osseuse trabéculaire permet d’appréhender la variabilité de l'os humain à une échelle jusqu'à présent peu explorée. Dans le cadre de cette recherche, cette variabilité est analysée et caractérisée en termes de croissance et de maturation, en fonction des critères individuels d’âge et de sexe, ainsi que dans des contextes pathologiques variés. Les images microtomodensitométriques des métaphyses humérales proximales de 43 sujets immatures (provenant de 3 collections ostéologiques de référence et couvrant l’ensemble des âges du développement) et celles de 8 cas paléopathologiques (représentant 5 étiologies différentes) ont été analysées pour quantifier la micro-architecture osseuse trabéculaire. Nos résultats montrent que cette micro-architecture varie pendant et entre les différentes phases de la croissance. Des corrélations avec l’âge sont mises en évidence, si elles n’expliquent pas suffisamment la variabilité observée pour en faire des estimateurs d'âge précis, il apparaît néanmoins que les variations relevées entre les différents volumes d’intérêt pourraient caractériser différentes périodes de la croissance. Les variables mesurées présentent des différences sexuelles significatives pendant l’adolescence, mais ne peuvent pas en l'état être utilisées pour la diagnose sexuelle. L'étude de la microarchitecture trabéculaire osseuse des sujets pathologiques atteste d’un développement anormal de l’os et donc du statut pathologique de l’individu observé. / Medical imaging and 3D reconstructions are used increasingly by anthropologists; they allow both investigating and preserving internal structures. Study of trabecular bone microarchitecture allows understanding variability of human skeleton at a smaller scale. This variability is observed and characterized in terms of normal growth and maturation according to age and sex, and for several pathological conditions. μCT scans of proximal metaphysis of humerus from 43 immature individuals (coming from 3 identified skeletons collections and representing all periods of age development) and 8 paleopathological cases (corresponding to 5 different etiologies) have been analyzed to quantify bone microarchitecture. Our results show that this microarchitecture varies during and between different phases of growth. Correlations with age are highlighted, even if they do not sufficiently explain the observed variability in order to represent specific age estimators; it nevertheless appears that the variations observed between the different volumes of interest could characterize different periods of growth. The measured variables showed significant sex differences only during the adolescence period, but they cannot be used, in the present state, for sex determination. The study of the trabecular bone microarchitecture of pathological individuals attests of the abnormal development of bone and therefore of their pathological status.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Uppsala universitet, 2008. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

No description available.

A ghrelina, hormônio secretado principalmente por células gástricas, liga-se ao seu receptor, o receptor de secretagogo de GH (GHSR - Growth hormone secretagogue receptor), localizado no hipotálamo e na hipófise, estimulando a síntese e secreção do GH. Recentemente foram identificadas mutações no gene GHSR em crianças com baixa estatura idiopática (BEI) e com deficiência isolada de GH (DGH). No presente estudo investigamos a presença de mutações no gene GHSR em crianças com DGH isolada de causa não identificada e crianças com BEI, incluindo um subgrupo de crianças com atraso constitucional de crescimento e desenvolvimento (ACCD). Foram selecionados 14 pacientes com deficiência isolada de GH sem alterações anatômicas da região hipotálamo-hipofisária e 96 pacientes com BEI, destes 31 (32%) apresentavam ACCD. Também foram estudados 150 controles adultos e 197 crianças controle com crescimento e puberdade normais. A região codificadora do GHSR foi amplificada utilizando-se oligonucleotídeos iniciadores específicos, seguida de purificação enzimática e seqüenciamento automático. Encontramos 6 variantes alélicas em heterozigose no GHSR: nenhuma delas presente nos controles estudados, e quatro destas variantes estão localizadas em regiões conservadas do gene. Uma variante foi encontrada em uma paciente do grupo DGH (p.Val249Leu) e as outras cinco (c.-6 G>C, p.Ser84Ile, p.Val182Ala, p.Ala169Thr e p.Ala358Thr) foram encontradas em pacientes do subgrupo ACCD do grupo BEI. As variantes missense foram submetidas a estudo funcional que evidenciou que as mutações p.Ser84Ile e p.Val182Ala possuem diminuição na atividade basal associadas à diminuição da expressão do receptor na superfície celular. Adicionalmente, a mutação p.Ser84Ile também apresenta redução na atividade do GHSR induzida pelo ligante. A variante p.Val249Leu foi encontrada em uma paciente do sexo feminino com diagnóstico de DGH isolado. A falta de segregação familiar associada à ausência de déficit funcional da variante nos estudos in vitro sugere que, neste caso, a variante p.Val249Leu não é a causa do fenótipo de DGH nesta família e trata-se de uma variante alélica rara. As 5 variantes alélicas no GHSR (c.-6 G>C, p.Ser84Ile, p.Val182Ala, p.Ala169Thr e p.Ala358Thr) encontradas nos pacientes com BEI foram identificadas apenas naqueles com puberdade atrasada, ou seja, pertencentes ao subgrupo ACCD (3 do sexo masculino e 2 do sexo feminino). A freqüência de variantes neste grupo de pacientes foi de 16%, significativamente maior que nos outros grupos, e a ausência de variantes gênicas novas no grupo de crianças obesas com altura normal e mesmo no grupo de crianças com BEI sem ACCD sugere que nosso achado não foi casual e que as alterações descritas podem estar associadas ao fenótipo de ACCD. Os estudos in vitro mostraram prejuízos funcionais em 2 destas variantes (p.Ser84Ile e p.Val182Ala) porém, devido à limitação dos estudos funcionais (celulas heterólogas) não podemos afastar que as demais não tenham algum impacto funcional in vivo. Em conclusão, nossos resultados sugerem um envolvimento dos defeitos no GHSR na etiologia do atraso constitucional do crescimento e desenvolvimento em uma parcela de pacientes com esta condição / Ghrelin, hormone secreted by gastric cells, stimulates growth hormone secretion by acting on its receptor GHSR, located in the hypothalamus and pituitary. Recently, mutations in the GHSR gene were described in patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and idiopathic short stature (ISS). In the present study we analyzed the GHSR gene in patients with isolated GHD and patients with ISS, including a subgroup of patients with constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP). We studied 14 GHD patients with normal pituitary magnetic resonance imaging and 96 patients with ISS, 31 of them with CDGP. We also studied 150 adults and in 197 children with normal stature. The entire coding region as well as the exon-intron boundaries of GHSR were PCR amplified in all patients and control group and PCR products were bidirectionally sequenced. Six different heterozygous variants in GHSR were identified: none of them were found in the control group and four of these amino acid substitutions occurred at a conserved position within the GHSR. One variant (p.Val249Leu) was found in a GHD patient and the other five (c.-6 G>C, p.Ser84Ile, p.Val182Ala, p.Ala169Thr e p.Ala358Thr) were found in patients with CDGP. The missense variants were submitted to functional studies. Two of these variants (p.Ser84Ile and p.Val182Ala) result in a decrease in basal activity that was in part explained by a reduction in cell surface expression. The p.Ser84Ile mutation was also associated with a defect in ghrelin potency. The p.Val249Leu variant, found in a female patient with isolated GHD, did not segregate with the phenotype in the family and had no functional impairment in vitro. This suggests that p.Val249Leu is not the cause of the GHD in the family and may be a rare allelic variant. The other variants (c.-6 G>C, p.Ser84Ile, p.Val182Ala, p.Ala169Thr e p.Ala358Thr) were identified only in patients with CDGP (3 male and 2 female). The frequency of allelic variants observed in this group (16%) was higher than expected by chance in contrast with ISS and GHD children, and the absence of other GHSR mutations in the large group of control children suggests that the association between GHSR mutations and CDGP phenotype is unlikely to be fortuitous. Functional studies revealed that two of the identified missense variants (p.Ser84Ile and p.Val182Ala) are functionally significant. These functional studies were performed in heterologous cell expression systems; therefore it is not possible to completely rule out that the other identified variants might cause some unrevealed impairment on GHSR function or expression in vivo. In conclusion, our data raise the possibility that abnormalities in ghrelin receptor function may be implicated in the ethiology of CDGP in some patients

A ghrelina, hormônio secretado principalmente por células gástricas, liga-se ao seu receptor, o receptor de secretagogo de GH (GHSR - Growth hormone secretagogue receptor), localizado no hipotálamo e na hipófise, estimulando a síntese e secreção do GH. Recentemente foram identificadas mutações no gene GHSR em crianças com baixa estatura idiopática (BEI) e com deficiência isolada de GH (DGH). No presente estudo investigamos a presença de mutações no gene GHSR em crianças com DGH isolada de causa não identificada e crianças com BEI, incluindo um subgrupo de crianças com atraso constitucional de crescimento e desenvolvimento (ACCD). Foram selecionados 14 pacientes com deficiência isolada de GH sem alterações anatômicas da região hipotálamo-hipofisária e 96 pacientes com BEI, destes 31 (32%) apresentavam ACCD. Também foram estudados 150 controles adultos e 197 crianças controle com crescimento e puberdade normais. A região codificadora do GHSR foi amplificada utilizando-se oligonucleotídeos iniciadores específicos, seguida de purificação enzimática e seqüenciamento automático. Encontramos 6 variantes alélicas em heterozigose no GHSR: nenhuma delas presente nos controles estudados, e quatro destas variantes estão localizadas em regiões conservadas do gene. Uma variante foi encontrada em uma paciente do grupo DGH (p.Val249Leu) e as outras cinco (c.-6 G>C, p.Ser84Ile, p.Val182Ala, p.Ala169Thr e p.Ala358Thr) foram encontradas em pacientes do subgrupo ACCD do grupo BEI. As variantes missense foram submetidas a estudo funcional que evidenciou que as mutações p.Ser84Ile e p.Val182Ala possuem diminuição na atividade basal associadas à diminuição da expressão do receptor na superfície celular. Adicionalmente, a mutação p.Ser84Ile também apresenta redução na atividade do GHSR induzida pelo ligante. A variante p.Val249Leu foi encontrada em uma paciente do sexo feminino com diagnóstico de DGH isolado. A falta de segregação familiar associada à ausência de déficit funcional da variante nos estudos in vitro sugere que, neste caso, a variante p.Val249Leu não é a causa do fenótipo de DGH nesta família e trata-se de uma variante alélica rara. As 5 variantes alélicas no GHSR (c.-6 G>C, p.Ser84Ile, p.Val182Ala, p.Ala169Thr e p.Ala358Thr) encontradas nos pacientes com BEI foram identificadas apenas naqueles com puberdade atrasada, ou seja, pertencentes ao subgrupo ACCD (3 do sexo masculino e 2 do sexo feminino). A freqüência de variantes neste grupo de pacientes foi de 16%, significativamente maior que nos outros grupos, e a ausência de variantes gênicas novas no grupo de crianças obesas com altura normal e mesmo no grupo de crianças com BEI sem ACCD sugere que nosso achado não foi casual e que as alterações descritas podem estar associadas ao fenótipo de ACCD. Os estudos in vitro mostraram prejuízos funcionais em 2 destas variantes (p.Ser84Ile e p.Val182Ala) porém, devido à limitação dos estudos funcionais (celulas heterólogas) não podemos afastar que as demais não tenham algum impacto funcional in vivo. Em conclusão, nossos resultados sugerem um envolvimento dos defeitos no GHSR na etiologia do atraso constitucional do crescimento e desenvolvimento em uma parcela de pacientes com esta condição / Ghrelin, hormone secreted by gastric cells, stimulates growth hormone secretion by acting on its receptor GHSR, located in the hypothalamus and pituitary. Recently, mutations in the GHSR gene were described in patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and idiopathic short stature (ISS). In the present study we analyzed the GHSR gene in patients with isolated GHD and patients with ISS, including a subgroup of patients with constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP). We studied 14 GHD patients with normal pituitary magnetic resonance imaging and 96 patients with ISS, 31 of them with CDGP. We also studied 150 adults and in 197 children with normal stature. The entire coding region as well as the exon-intron boundaries of GHSR were PCR amplified in all patients and control group and PCR products were bidirectionally sequenced. Six different heterozygous variants in GHSR were identified: none of them were found in the control group and four of these amino acid substitutions occurred at a conserved position within the GHSR. One variant (p.Val249Leu) was found in a GHD patient and the other five (c.-6 G>C, p.Ser84Ile, p.Val182Ala, p.Ala169Thr e p.Ala358Thr) were found in patients with CDGP. The missense variants were submitted to functional studies. Two of these variants (p.Ser84Ile and p.Val182Ala) result in a decrease in basal activity that was in part explained by a reduction in cell surface expression. The p.Ser84Ile mutation was also associated with a defect in ghrelin potency. The p.Val249Leu variant, found in a female patient with isolated GHD, did not segregate with the phenotype in the family and had no functional impairment in vitro. This suggests that p.Val249Leu is not the cause of the GHD in the family and may be a rare allelic variant. The other variants (c.-6 G>C, p.Ser84Ile, p.Val182Ala, p.Ala169Thr e p.Ala358Thr) were identified only in patients with CDGP (3 male and 2 female). The frequency of allelic variants observed in this group (16%) was higher than expected by chance in contrast with ISS and GHD children, and the absence of other GHSR mutations in the large group of control children suggests that the association between GHSR mutations and CDGP phenotype is unlikely to be fortuitous. Functional studies revealed that two of the identified missense variants (p.Ser84Ile and p.Val182Ala) are functionally significant. These functional studies were performed in heterologous cell expression systems; therefore it is not possible to completely rule out that the other identified variants might cause some unrevealed impairment on GHSR function or expression in vivo. In conclusion, our data raise the possibility that abnormalities in ghrelin receptor function may be implicated in the ethiology of CDGP in some patients