Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Virtual And In-Person Instruction In Culinary Medicine: A Survey-Based Study., Orli Glickman, Joanne Kakaty-Monzo, Michael B. Roberts, Farzaneh Daghigh

PCOM Scholarly Papers

BACKGROUND: Culinary medicine, which has recently increased in popularity in medical education, incorporates food and nutritional interventions with principles of disease prevention and treatment. The ultimate goal is to improve overall health outcomes. The growing prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases indicates the need for physicians to have a deeper understanding of the interplay between nutrition and disease. Incorporating culinary medicine into medical education can equip medical students with the necessary skills and knowledge to promote better patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate students' perceptions of their foundational knowledge of a culinary medicine course after completion of …

Awareness With Paralysis And Symptoms Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Mechanically Ventilated Emergency Department Survivors (Ed-Awareness-2 Trial): Study Protocol For A Pragmatic, Multicenter, Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial., Brian M Fuller, Brian E Driver, Michael B. Roberts, Christa A Schorr, Kathryn Thompson, Brett Faine, Julianne Yeary, Nicholas M Mohr, Ryan D Pappal, Robert J Stephens, Yan Yan, Nicholas J Johnson, Brian W Roberts

PCOM Scholarly Papers

BACKGROUND: Awareness with paralysis (AWP) is memory recall during neuromuscular blockade (NMB) and can cause significant psychological harm. Decades of effort and rigorous trials have been conducted to prevent AWP in the operating room, where prevalence is 0.1-0.2%. By contrast, AWP in mechanically ventilated emergency department (ED) patients is common, with estimated prevalence of 3.3-7.4% among survivors given NMB. Longer-acting NMB use is a critical risk for AWP, and we have shown an association between ED rocuronium use and increased AWP prevalence. As NMB are given to more than 90% of ED patients during tracheal intubation, this trial provides a …

Atypical Intraparenchymal Meningioma With Yap1-Maml2 Fusion In A Young Adult Male: A Case Report And Mini Literature Review., Alisa Nobee, Mei Xu, Anjali Seth, Yuan Rong

PCOM Scholarly Papers

Oncogenic Yes-associated protein (YAP) 1 fusions have been recently identified in several cases of meningioma mostly involving pediatric patients. The meningiomas harboring YAP1-MAML2, which is the most frequent fusion subtype, exhibit activated YAP1 signaling and share similarities with NF2 (neurofibromatosis type 2 gene) mutant meningiomas. We reported a rare case of atypical intraparenchymal meningioma with YAP1-MAML2 fusion in a 20-year-old male. The patient presented with an episode of seizure without a medical history. MRI revealed a lesion in the right temporal lobe without extra-axial involvement. The radiological and morphological findings, however, were indistinctive from other intracranial diseases, e.g., vascular malformation …

Cytotoxic And Apoptotic Effects Of Pinostilbene And Bortezomib Combination Treatment On Human Multiple Myeloma Cells., Anna Staskiewicz, Erica Wong, Michael Tucker, Riya Farhin, Jonathan Park, Rana Saade, Tina Alkhazali, Tu Dang, Xinyu Wang

PCOM Scholarly Papers

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow characterized by bone lesions, hypercalcemia, anemia, and renal failure. Bortezomib (BTZ), a common treatment for MM, is a proteasome inhibitor that induces apoptosis in MM cells. However, high doses of BTZ can be very toxic, signifying a need for a synergistic drug combination to improve treatment efficacy. Resveratrol (RES), a phenolic compound found in grapes, has been shown to inhibit MM cell growth. We sought to identify a synergistic combination of BTZ with a RES derivative and analyze the effects on reducing viability and inducing apoptosis in …

Phf8-Glul Axis In Lipid Deposition And Tumor Growth Of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma., Song Peng, Ze Wang, Peng Tang, Shuo Wang, Yiqiang Huang, Qiubo Xie, Yapeng Wang, Xintao Tan, Tang Tang, Xuzhi Yan, Jing Xu, Weihua Lan, Luofu Wang, Dianzheng Zhang, Bin Wang, Tiejun Pan, Jun Qin, Jun Jiang, Qiuli Liu

PCOM Scholarly Papers

For clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), lipid deposition plays important roles in the development, metastasis, and drug resistance. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying lipid deposition in ccRCC remain largely unknown. By conducting an unbiased CRISPR-Cas9 screening, we identified the epigenetic regulator plant homeodomain finger protein 8 (PHF8) as an important regulator in ccRCC lipid deposition. Moreover, PHF8 is regulated by von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)/hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) axis and essential for VHL deficiency-induced lipid deposition. PHF8 transcriptionally up-regulates glutamate-ammonia ligase (GLUL), which promotes the lipid deposition and ccRCC progression. Mechanistically, by forming a complex with c-MYC, PHF8 up-regulates TEA domain transcription …

Prevalence And Predictors Of Suicidality Among Adults Initiating Office-Based Buprenorphine., Michelle R. Lent, Karen L Dugosh, Emily Hurstak, Hannah R. Callahan, Kimberly Mazur, Greater Philadelphia Opioid Use Disorder Research Group

PCOM Scholarly Papers

BACKGROUND: Individuals who have substance use disorders may have an elevated risk of suicidality. This study sought to examine the prevalence of, and identify factors associated with, suicidality in adults with opioid use disorder (OUD) initiating office-based buprenorphine treatment.

METHODS: Individuals were eligible to participate if they had OUD and had initiated treatment in the past month. Participants (n = 244) completed a semi-structured interview using the Addiction Severity Index-Lite.

RESULTS: At baseline, 37.70% of participants reported significant thoughts of suicide over their lifetime and 27.46% reported suicidal attempts over their lifetime. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors …

Primary Bilateral Macronodular Adrenocortical Hyperplasia (Pbmah) Patient With Armc5 Mutations., Peng Tang, Jun Zhang, Song Peng, Xuzhi Yan, Yapeng Wang, Shuo Wang, Yao Zhang, Gaolei Liu, Jing Xu, Yiqiang Huang, Dianzheng Zhang, Qiuli Liu, Jun Jiang, Weihua Lan

PCOM Scholarly Papers

BACKGROUND: Primary bilateral macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia (PBMAH) is a highly heterogeneous disease with divergent manifestations ranging from asymptomatic subclinical Cushing syndrome (CS) to overt Cushing syndrome with severe complications. ARMC5 mutations occur in 20 to 55% PBMAH patients usually with more severe phenotypes. Different ARMC5 mutations might be associated with diverse phenotypes of PBMAH.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 39-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with progressive weight gain and severe hypertension. He presented typical CS and its classical metabolic and bone complications like hypertension and osteoporosis. The laboratory results showed high levels of cortisol and low levels of ACTH. Low- …

The Development, Implementation And Early Learnings Of A Training Program To Advance Interest In Behavioral Research Careers Among Undergraduate Bipoc Students Majoring In Psychology., Michelle R. Lent, Denise Gaither-Hardy, Kevin E Favor, Diana Harris, Travis A Cos, Conor Millard, Zatio Kone, Ashley Van Riper, Karen L Dugosh

PCOM Scholarly Papers

OBJECTIVES: Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) remain underrepresented in research occupations. This report discusses a collaboration to train undergraduate BIPOC students in clinical research between a public health institute, two medical schools, and a historically Black College or University (HBCU). This nine-month program trained BIPOC undergraduates in research methodology, psychology, and addiction science, and immersed trainees in real-world research. The program included didactic seminars, experiential activities, and a mentored research project culminating in a poster and oral presentation.

METHODS: Key learnings, program satisfaction survey results, and preliminary outcomes from the first three program cohorts (N = 6 students) …

Association Of Eating And Sleeping Intervals With Weight Change Over Time: The Daily24 Cohort., Di Zhao, Eliseo Guallar, Thomas B Woolf, Lindsay Martin, Harold Lehmann, Janelle Coughlin, Katherine Holzhauer, Attia A Goheer, Kathleen M Mctigue, Michelle R. Lent, Marquis Hawkins, Jeanne M Clark, Wendy L Bennett

PCOM Scholarly Papers

Background We aim to evaluate the association between meal intervals and weight trajectory among adults from a clinical cohort. Methods and Results This is a multisite prospective cohort study of adults recruited from 3 health systems. Over the 6-month study period, 547 participants downloaded and used a mobile application to record the timing of meals and sleep for at least 1 day. We obtained information on weight and comorbidities at each outpatient visit from electronic health records for up to 10  years before until 10 months after baseline. We used mixed linear regression to model weight trajectories. Mean age was …

Myo/Nog Cells Give Rise To Myofibroblasts During Epiretinal Membrane Formation In A Mouse Model Of Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy., Mara Crispin, Jacquelyn Gerhart, Alison Heffer, Mark Martin, Fathma Abdalla, Arturo Bravo Nuevo, Nancy J Philp, Ajay E Kuriyan, Mindy George-Weinstein

PCOM Scholarly Papers

PURPOSE: Myo/Nog cells are the source of myofibroblasts in the lens and synthesize muscle proteins in human epiretinal membranes (ERMs). In the current study, we examined the response of Myo/Nog cells during ERM formation in a mouse model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).

METHODS: PVR was induced by intravitreal injections of gas and ARPE-19 cells. PVR grade was scored by fundus imaging, optical coherence tomography, and histology. Double label immunofluorescence localization was performed to quantify Myo/Nog cells, myofibroblasts, and leukocytes.

RESULTS: Myo/Nog cells, identified by co-labeling with antibodies to brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor 1 (BAI1) and Noggin, increased throughout the eye with …

Hydroxytyrosol Reduces Foam Cell Formation And Endothelial Inflammation Regulating The Pparγ/Lxrα/Abca1 Pathway., Sara Franceschelli, Federica De Cecco, Mirko Pesce, Patrizio Ripari, Maria Teresa Guagnano, Arturo Bravo Nuevo, Alfredo Grilli, Silvia Sancilio, Lorenza Speranza

PCOM Scholarly Papers

Cholesterol accumulation in macrophages leads to the formation of foam cells and increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis. We have verified whether hydroxytyrosol (HT), a phenolic compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, can reduce the cholesterol build up in THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cells. We have also investigated the potential mechanisms. Oil Red O staining and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assays were utilized to detect cellular lipid accumulation and cholesterol content, respectively, in THP-1 macrophages foam cells treated with HT. The impact of HT on cholesterol metabolism-related molecules (SR-A1, CD36, LOX-1, ABCA1, ABCG1, PPARγ and LRX-α) in foam cells was assessed …

Genotype-Phenotype Correlation In Patients With 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency., Peng Tang, Jun Zhang, Song Peng, Yapeng Wang, Haoyang Li, Ze Wang, Yao Zhang, Yiqiang Huang, Jing Xu, Dianzheng Zhang, Qiuli Liu, Luofu Wang, Weihua Lan, Jun Jiang

PCOM Scholarly Papers

INTRODUCTION: 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) is the most common cause of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). However, patients with 21OHD manifest various phenotypes due to a wide-spectrum residual enzyme activity of different CYP21A2 mutations.

METHODS: A total of 15 individuals from three unrelated families were included in this study. Target Capture-Based Deep Sequencing and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism was conducted on peripheral blood DNA of the three probands to identify potential mutations/deletions in CYP21A2; Sanger sequencing was conducted with the DNA from the family members of the probands.

RESULTS: Dramatically different phenotypes were seen in the three probands of CAH with different …

Attitudes, Beliefs, And Perceptions On Cannabis Among Older Adults Aged 65 And Older: A Cross-Sectional Survey., Alex M Kleidon, Andrew M Peterson, Ilene Warner-Maron, Allen Glicksman

PCOM Scholarly Papers

OBJECTIVE: With the rise of medical and recreational cannabis use among older adults, concerns about the potential risks and benefits of cannabis use are increasing. This pilot study aimed to determine the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of older adults toward cannabis as a medicinal product, to establish a foundation for future research on how healthcare providers communicate with this population regarding cannabis.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on adults aged 65 and older living in Philadelphia. The survey included questions related to participants' demographics, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of cannabis. Participants were recruited via flyer distributions, publications in …

Incidence Of Lung Cancer Among Healthcare Workers In Hunan Province And Analysis Of Related Risk Factors., Jinzhang Xiao, Sishi Li, Shudong Zhu, Kamakshi Ranjan, Dianzheng Zhang

PCOM Scholarly Papers

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of lung cancer, a major type of malignant tumor, has been increasing over the years greatly impacting the health of Chinese residents. This study investigates the epidemiological characteristics of lung cancer among healthcare workers in the Hunan Province, as well as the occupational risk factors.

METHODS: The data analyzed in this study was collected from the largest tumor hospital in the province: the Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital affiliated with Central South University, School of Medicine. The data collected encompasses input collected between the years of 2004 to 2013 of the population of healthcare workers who were hospitalized …

Electronic Health Record-Based Recruitment And Retention And Mobile Health App Usage: Multisite Cohort Study., Janelle W Coughlin, Lindsay M Martin, Di Zhao, Attia Goheer, Thomas B Woolf, Katherine Holzhauer, Harold P Lehmann, Michelle R. Lent, Kathleen M Mctigue, Jeanne M Clark, Wendy L Bennett

PCOM Scholarly Papers

BACKGROUND: To address the obesity epidemic, there is a need for novel paradigms, including those that address the timing of eating and sleep in relation to circadian rhythms. Electronic health records (EHRs) are an efficient way to identify potentially eligible participants for health research studies. Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer available and convenient data collection of health behaviors, such as timing of eating and sleep.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this descriptive analysis was to report on recruitment, retention, and app use from a 6-month cohort study using a mobile app called Daily24.

METHODS: Using an EHR query, adult patients from …

Aloin Isoforms (A And B) Selectively Inhibits Proteolytic And Deubiquitinating Activity Of Papain Like Protease (Plpro) Of Sars-Cov-2 In Vitro., Devin S M Lewis, Joanna Ho, Savannah Wills, Anasha Kawall, Avini Sharma, Krishna Chavada, Maximilian C C J C Ebert, Stefania Evoli, Ajay Singh, Srujana Rayalam, Vicky Mody, Shashidharamurthy Taval

PCOM Scholarly Papers

The most common host entry point of human adapted coronaviruses (CoV) including SARS-CoV-2 is through the initial colonization in the nostril and mouth region which is responsible for spread of the infection. Most recent studies suggest that the commercially available oral and nasal rinse products are effective in inhibiting the viral replication. However, the anti-viral mechanism of the active ingredients present in the oral rinses have not been studied. In the present study, we have assessed in vitro enzymatic inhibitory activity of active ingredients in the oral mouth rinse products: aloin A and B, chlorhexidine, eucalyptol, hexetidine, menthol, triclosan, methyl …

Study Protocol: Cluster Randomized Trial Of Consultation Strategies For The Sustainment Of Mental Health Interventions In Under-Resourced Urban Schools: Rationale, Design, And Methods., Ricardo Eiraldi, Barry L. Mccurdy, Muniya S Khanna, Courtney Benjamin Wolk, Henry A Glick, Quinn A Rabenau-Mcdonnell, Rachel Comly, Laura E Rutherford, Jayme Banks, Steven A Rufe, Kristina M Popkin, Tara Wilson, Kathryn Henson, Abraham Wandersman, Abbas F Jawad

PCOM Scholarly Papers

BACKGROUND: The school is a key setting for the provision of mental health services to children, particularly those underserved through traditional service delivery systems. School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a tiered approach to service delivery based on the public health model that schools use to implement universal (Tier 1) supports to improve school climate and safety. As our prior research has demonstrated, PBIS is a useful vehicle for implementing mental and behavioral health evidence-based practices (EBPs) at Tier 2 for children with, or at risk for, mental health disorders. Very little research has been conducted regarding the …

Neuron-Specific Imp2 Overexpression By Synapsin Promoter-Driven Aav9: A Tool To Study Its Role In Axon Regeneration., Sarah Blizard, Danielle Park, Natalie O'Toole, Sheeva Norooz, Martin Dela Torre, Young Son, Adam Holstein, Scarlett Austin, Joshua Harman, Samantha Haraszti, Daved Fared, Mei Xu

PCOM Scholarly Papers

Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein (IMP) 2 is one of the three homologues (IMP1-3) that belong to a conserved family of mRNA-binding proteins. Its alternative splice product is aberrantly expressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma, and it is therefore identified as HCC. Previous works have indicated that IMP1/ZBP1 (zipcode binding protein) is critical in axon guidance and regeneration by regulating localization and translation of specific mRNAs. However, the role of IMP2 in the nervous system is largely unknown. We used the synapsin promoter-driven adeno-associated viral (AAV) 9 constructs for transgene expression both in vitro and in vivo. These viral vectors …

Identification Of 3-Chymotrypsin Like Protease (3clpro) Inhibitors As Potential Anti-Sars-Cov-2 Agents., Vicky Mody, Joanna Ho, Savannah Wills, Ahmed Mawri, Latasha Lawson, Maximilian C C J C Ebert, Guillaume M Fortin, Srujana Rayalam, Shashidharamurthy Taval

PCOM Scholarly Papers

Emerging outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a major threat to public health. The morbidity is increasing due to lack of SARS-CoV-2 specific drugs. Herein, we have identified potential drugs that target the 3-chymotrypsin like protease (3CLpro), the main protease that is pivotal for the replication of SARS-CoV-2. Computational molecular modeling was used to screen 3987 FDA approved drugs, and 47 drugs were selected to study their inhibitory effects on SARS-CoV-2 specific 3CLpro enzyme in vitro. Our results indicate that boceprevir, ombitasvir, paritaprevir, tipranavir, ivermectin, and micafungin exhibited inhibitory effect towards 3CLpro enzymatic activity. The 100 …

Evaluation Of Albumin Use In A Community Hospital Setting: A Retrospective Study Looking At Appropriate Use And Prescribing Patterns., Timothy Coyle, Samuel John

PCOM Scholarly Papers

PURPOSE: Albumin has been shown to be safe and effective in clinical practice for a wide variety of indications. The purpose of this medication use evaluation is to quantify the use of albumin in the community hospital setting based on indication and prescribing department.

METHODS: This study is a retrospective, single-center, chart review over a 6-month period of 186 patients aged 18 and older who were treated with IV human albumin 5% or 25% at a single 202-bed community hospital setting from February 1, 2020, to August 1, 2020. A chart review was completed for each patient and the data …

Hypogeusia As The Initial Presenting Symptom Of Covid-19, Lauren E Melley, Eli Bress, Erik Polan

PCOM Scholarly Papers

COVID-19 is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which first arose in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and has since been declared a pandemic. The clinical sequelae vary from mild, self-limiting upper respiratory infection symptoms to severe respiratory distress, acute cardiopulmonary arrest and death. Otolaryngologists around the globe have reported a significant number of mild or otherwise asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 presenting with olfactory dysfunction. We present a case of COVID-19 resulting in intensive care unit (ICU) admission, presenting with the initial symptom of disrupted taste and flavour perception prior to respiratory …

Assessing The Elevation Of Cardiac Biomarkers And The Severity Of Covid-19 Infection: A Meta-Analysis, Cucnhat Walker, Subrata Deb, Hua Ling, Zhe Wang

PCOM Scholarly Papers

- Purpose: Since December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 infection has become a global pandemic. The cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related acute cardiac injury with unknown pathophysiologic mechanism has become increasingly prevalent. However, it is not yet understood how the extent of cardiac injury differs with the intensity of viral infection. In the current study, we aimed to assess the association between elevated cardiac biomarkers and the severity of COVID-19 infection.

METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed across PubMed and Embase databases from December 1, 2019 to July 10, 2020, to identify studies that reported cardiac biomarkers of troponin …

Rethinking The Core List Of Journals For Libraries That Serve Schools And Colleges Of Pharmacy., Robert D Beckett, Sabrina W. Cole, Hannah K Rogers, Skye Bickett, Christina Seeger, Jennifer A Mcdaniel

PCOM Scholarly Papers

The Core List of Journals for Libraries that Serve Schools and Colleges of Pharmacy is a guide for developing and maintaining pharmacy-affiliated library collections. A work group was created to update the list and design a process for updating that will streamline future revisions. Work group members searched the National Library of Medicine catalog for an initial list of journals and then applied inclusion criteria to narrow the list. The work group finalized the fifth edition of the list with 225 diverse publications and produced a sustainable set of criteria for journal inclusion, providing a structured, objective process for future …

A Penile Spine/Vibrissa Enhancer Sequence Is Missing In Modern And Extinct Humans But Is Retained In Multiple Primates With Penile Spines And Sensory Vibrissae, Philip L. Reno, Cory Y Mclean, Jasmine E Hines, Terence D Capellini, Gill Bejerano, David M Kingsley

PCOM Scholarly Papers

Previous studies show that humans have a large genomic deletion downstream of the Androgen Receptor gene that eliminates an ancestral mammalian regulatory enhancer that drives expression in developing penile spines and sensory vibrissae. Here we use a combination of large-scale sequence analysis and PCR amplification to demonstrate that the penile spine/vibrissa enhancer is missing in all humans surveyed and in the Neandertal and Denisovan genomes, but is present in DNA samples of chimpanzees and bonobos, as well as in multiple other great apes and primates that maintain some form of penile integumentary appendage and facial vibrissae. These results further strengthen …

Clostridium Septicum Growth From A Total Knee Arthroplasty Associated With Intestinal Malignancy: A Case Report, Demetri M. Economedes, Jerome Santoro, Carl A. Deirmengian

PCOM Scholarly Papers

BACKGROUND: Previous reports of infection with Clostridium septicum have identified an unexpected association with concurrent malignancy. The reported rate of associated malignancy has been found to be as high as 81 percent. The purpose of this case report was to present a case of a total knee arthroplasty infected with C. septicum and the subsequent finding of an occult colonic malignancy.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 74 year-old man underwent uneventful bilateral total knee arthroplasties. Two weeks post-operatively, he presented with acute swelling, redness and pain of the left knee. Aspiration of the knee was sent for cell count and …

Rhoa/Rho-Kinase Signaling: A Therapeutic Target In Pulmonary Hypertension, Scott A. Barman, Shu Zhu, Richard E. White

PCOM Scholarly Papers

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating disease characterized by progressive elevation of pulmonary arterial pressure and vascular resistance due to pulmonary vasoconstriction and vessel remodeling as well as inflammation. Rho-kinases (ROCKs) are one of the best-described effectors of the small G-protein RhoA, and ROCKs are involved in a variety of cellular functions including muscle cell contraction, proliferation and vascular inflammation through inhibition of myosin light chain phosphatase and activation of downstream mediators. A plethora of evidence in animal models suggests that heightened RhoA/ROCK signaling is important in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension by causing enhanced constriction and remodeling of …