Project description:<p>Developmental disabilities are birth defects that cause lifelong problems with how a body part or system works. Developmental disabilities include nervous system insults affecting how the brain, spinal cord and nervous system function; they cause intellectual disability, including Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome; and they also cause learning and behavioral disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders. At the Kennedy Krieger Institute, approximately 450 inpatients and 13,000 outpatients are seen per year (involving 114,000 visits). For most of these disorders, the underlying molecular cause has not been identified. Some, such as chromosomal disorders, have a strongly genetic basis while others, such as traumatic brain injury, are caused by environmental insults but are nonetheless influenced by the genetic background. The purpose of the present study is to identify chromosomal abnormalities underlying a variety of developmental disabilities. The approach is to obtain blood and saliva from children, and from one or both biological parents (and in some cases from siblings and/or additional relatives). Genomic DNA is purified and assayed on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarrays and/or by sequencing, including whole genome sequencing. These technologies provide high resolution information about chromosomal changes, and the information provided by the parental (and other relatives') DNA allows an interpretation of whether changes in a child are inherited or occur <i>de novo</i>. The study design includes multiple data analysis procedures to interpret the biological significance of findings of chromosomal changes relative to a child's parents, relative to children with similar diagnoses, relative to children with other chromosomal anomalies, and (in some cases) relative to the chromosomal status of siblings. We will further interpret the significance of the findings relative to the general (apparently normal) population by obtaining publicly available data from apparently normal individuals. </p>
Project description:Developmental gene expression patterns (9812 genes) of juvenile and adult C. sinensis were analyzed using a 12K oligonucleotide microarray (a total of 11617 genes). A number of significantly differentially expressed genes having more than 2-fold difference were observed in adult stage compared to juvenile stage. This finding suggests that the expression levels of different gene sets are controlled in C. sinensis for adaptation to environmental change, such as developmental stages.
Project description:The goal of this project is to develop and pilot test an innovative approach for overcoming barriers to cancer screening among women with physical disabilities (WWD) in rural Oregon. Many studies have shown that people with disabilities receive fewer indicated cancer screening services and are more likely to have poor cancer-related outcomes, such as late stage at diagnosis, compared to those without disabilities.