Nam Nguyen - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Nam Nguyen
Biomolecular Engineering, 2006
Targeted cDNA differential display (TcDD) was developed to study expression of a different select... more Targeted cDNA differential display (TcDD) was developed to study expression of a different selected gene families especially those at low copy numbers per cell. This method is an adaptation of our previously described targeted genomic differential display method (TGDD). In TcDD, the expression of genes containing target sequences such as CAG repeating sequences or genes encoding for zinc-finger binding proteins were followed in an experimental rat model with salt-induced hypertension. DNA sequencing experiments demonstrated that the effectiveness of targeting was greater than 99%.
American Journal of Medical Genetics, 2003
The goal of these experiments was to understand DNA changes relevant to schizophrenia. This work ... more The goal of these experiments was to understand DNA changes relevant to schizophrenia. This work compared DNA of monozygotic (MZ) twins surrounding (CAG) n repeating sequences, and characterized the relationship between fragile sites and schizophrenia. Twelve twin-pairs, previously classified as MZ and 18 unrelated sib-pairs, from seven families were studied. Eight twin-pairs were affected by schizophrenia, four concordantly and four discordantly. DNA comparisons were made using profiles of electrophoretic size fractionations of PCR amplified (CAG) n containing genomic fragments. These profiles were generated by a new method, developed by us, called targeted genomic differential display (TGDD). Surprisingly, the number of peak profile differences in MZ twin-pairs discordant for schizophrenia was greater than the concordantly ill twins and the well twins and, in some cases, overlapped the range of sibpairs. These results might mean that some twins were not MZ but it was not possible to definitively test these samples for zygosity. Alternatively, the results might be explained as an increased mutation rate (or genomic instability) around (CAG) n sites in individuals afflicted with schizophrenia. Also, we uncovered an association of schizophrenia (i.e., a linkage of chromosomal abnormalities and gene localizations) with fragile sites spread throughout the genome (x 2 , P ¼ 0.001). Furthermore, it appears that an increasing number of genes linked to schizophrenia are associated with (CAG) n sequences. Fragile sites and (CAG) n repeat sequences are known to be unstable. We speculate the association of genomic instability with schizophrenia accounts for seemingly disparate biological and environmental factors that influence disease occurrence.
American Journal of Health Promotion, 2008
Purpose. To assess the relationship between household smoking restrictions and smoking patterns a... more Purpose. To assess the relationship between household smoking restrictions and smoking patterns among Chinese American adults. Design. This is a cross-sectional analysis based on a National Institutes of Health-funded population-based household and telephone survey of 2537 Chinese American adults. Setting. Two communities in New York City. Subjects. The analyses focused on male current smokers (N = 600). Measures. Demographic characteristics, smoking status, household smoking restrictions, cigarettes smoked per day, and past quit attempts were based on self-reported data. Results. Among current smokers, 37% reported living in a home with a complete smoking ban. Smokers with a full household smoking ban smoked fewer cigarettes on weekdays and weekends than smokers with no household smoking ban (p ≤ .05) and were 3.4 times (p ≤ .01) more likely to report having at least one quit attempt in the past 12 months. Smokers with knowledge of the dangers of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) e...
Biomolecular Engineering, 2006
Targeted cDNA differential display (TcDD) was developed to study expression of a different select... more Targeted cDNA differential display (TcDD) was developed to study expression of a different selected gene families especially those at low copy numbers per cell. This method is an adaptation of our previously described targeted genomic differential display method (TGDD). In TcDD, the expression of genes containing target sequences such as CAG repeating sequences or genes encoding for zinc-finger binding proteins were followed in an experimental rat model with salt-induced hypertension. DNA sequencing experiments demonstrated that the effectiveness of targeting was greater than 99%.
American Journal of Medical Genetics, 2003
The goal of these experiments was to understand DNA changes relevant to schizophrenia. This work ... more The goal of these experiments was to understand DNA changes relevant to schizophrenia. This work compared DNA of monozygotic (MZ) twins surrounding (CAG) n repeating sequences, and characterized the relationship between fragile sites and schizophrenia. Twelve twin-pairs, previously classified as MZ and 18 unrelated sib-pairs, from seven families were studied. Eight twin-pairs were affected by schizophrenia, four concordantly and four discordantly. DNA comparisons were made using profiles of electrophoretic size fractionations of PCR amplified (CAG) n containing genomic fragments. These profiles were generated by a new method, developed by us, called targeted genomic differential display (TGDD). Surprisingly, the number of peak profile differences in MZ twin-pairs discordant for schizophrenia was greater than the concordantly ill twins and the well twins and, in some cases, overlapped the range of sibpairs. These results might mean that some twins were not MZ but it was not possible to definitively test these samples for zygosity. Alternatively, the results might be explained as an increased mutation rate (or genomic instability) around (CAG) n sites in individuals afflicted with schizophrenia. Also, we uncovered an association of schizophrenia (i.e., a linkage of chromosomal abnormalities and gene localizations) with fragile sites spread throughout the genome (x 2 , P ¼ 0.001). Furthermore, it appears that an increasing number of genes linked to schizophrenia are associated with (CAG) n sequences. Fragile sites and (CAG) n repeat sequences are known to be unstable. We speculate the association of genomic instability with schizophrenia accounts for seemingly disparate biological and environmental factors that influence disease occurrence.
American Journal of Health Promotion, 2008
Purpose. To assess the relationship between household smoking restrictions and smoking patterns a... more Purpose. To assess the relationship between household smoking restrictions and smoking patterns among Chinese American adults. Design. This is a cross-sectional analysis based on a National Institutes of Health-funded population-based household and telephone survey of 2537 Chinese American adults. Setting. Two communities in New York City. Subjects. The analyses focused on male current smokers (N = 600). Measures. Demographic characteristics, smoking status, household smoking restrictions, cigarettes smoked per day, and past quit attempts were based on self-reported data. Results. Among current smokers, 37% reported living in a home with a complete smoking ban. Smokers with a full household smoking ban smoked fewer cigarettes on weekdays and weekends than smokers with no household smoking ban (p ≤ .05) and were 3.4 times (p ≤ .01) more likely to report having at least one quit attempt in the past 12 months. Smokers with knowledge of the dangers of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) e...