Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Actinomycin D And Telmisartan Combination Therapy Targets Lung Cancer Stem Cells, Ryan Green

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The failure of lung cancer treatments has been attributed partly to the development of drug resistance, however the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. It has been suggested that a very small group of specific cells within the heterogeneous tumors, cancer initiating stem cells (CSC), develop resistance to treatment, survive and later initiate the growth of new tumors. Due to their pivotal role in maintenance and relapse of tumors following the acquisition of drug resistance, we reasoned that novel drugs targeting cancer cells and CSC might provide the most effective treatments, if not a cure. To this end, …

Fatigue-Related Symptom Clusters And Their Relationship With Depression, And Functional Status In Older Adults Hospice Patients With Cancer., Suzan Fouad Abduljawad

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The hospice care population with cancer are often older adults who report many cancer-related symptoms experienced often in clusters. Most prevalent of these symptoms is fatigue and often it co-occurs with depressive symptoms and poor physical functioning. This dissertation examined fatigue, symptom clusters, depression, physical activity, and functional status in older adults with cancer. The aims of the literature review were to understand the relationship among physical functioning, cancer fatigue, fatigue-related symptom clusters, and their relationship with functional status In older adults. The literature related to these associations is insufficient and inconclusive. The methods section aimed to investigate the reliability …

Broadening The Lens: A Systems Approach To Nursing Home Quality Improvement, Kelly M. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The National Quality Award Program, sponsored by the American Healthcare Association National Center for Assisted Living, was implemented to cultivate continuous quality improvement in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Based upon the Baldridge Criteria for Performance Excellence, the program utilizes a systems-based or Big “Q” approach to quality and requires applicants to examine seven categories of their organizational environment including: 1) leadership, 2) strategy, 3) customers, 4) measurement, analysis, and knowledge management, 5) workforce, 6) operations, and 7) results. The subsequent dissertation examines whether award status is associated with better performance on publicly reported quality measures and financial performance …

The Relationship Between Sleep Quality And Motor Function In Hospitalized Older Adult Survivors Of Critical Illness, Maya N. Elías

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary, descriptive aim of this dissertation was to describe the nighttime sleep quality of previously mechanically ventilated older adult patients within 24-48 hours of transfer out of the intensive care unit (ICU) to a medical-surgical floor. The secondary, exploratory aim was to examine the relationships between post-ICU sleep efficiency (SE) and wake after sleep onset (WASO) with grip strength in previously mechanically ventilated older adult patients within 24-48 hours of transfer out of the ICU.

The study included 30 adults ages 65 and older (11 women, 19 men; age 71.37 ± 5.35, range 65-86 years), who were functionally independent …

The Moderating Effect Of Religion On Death Distress And Quality Of Life Between Christian Cancer Patients In The United States With Muslim Cancer Patients In Saudi Arabia, Doaa Almostadi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is an illness that knows no international boundaries. There are more than eight million global cancer deaths each year. A life-threatening diagnosis generates significant emotional problems for many patients across cultures. Death distress—consisting of death depression, death anxiety and death obsession—often results in poorer treatment adherence and lower overall health and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to determine whether religiosity has a moderating effect on the relationship between death distress and quality of life among patients facing a life-threatening cancer diagnosis.

The study sample consisted of 118 cancer patients: 82 cancer patients from a National …

Primary Liver Cancers, Part 2: Progression Pathways And Carcinogenesis, Kun Jiang, Barbara A. Centeno

Pathology and Cell Biology Faculty Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have been increasing in incidence worldwide and are leading causes of cancer death. Studies of the molecular alterations leading to these carcinomas provide insights into the key mechanisms involved. A literature review was conducted to identify articles with information relevant to current understanding of the etiologies and molecular pathogenesis of HCC and ICC. Chronic inflammatory diseases are the key etiological risk factors for both HCC and ICC, although other diseases play a role, and for many ICCs, an underlying risk factor is not identified. Mutations in catenin beta 1 (CTNBB1) …

Recurrent Aneurysmal Bone Cyst Of The Distal Fibula Treated With Denosumab And Curettage, Philip B. Fontenot, Jose Jesurajan, Marilyn Bui, Damon Reed, Odion Binitie

Pathology and Cell Biology Faculty Publications

We report the case of a 13-year-old girl with multiple recurrences of an aneurysmal bone cyst of the distal fibula successfully treated with denosumab and curettage. Aneurysmal bone cysts are locally aggressive lesions with high rates of recurrence. The novel use of denosumab with curettage in a long bone showed a favorable outcome with no adverse events or signs of recurrence three years after treatment.

Primary Liver Cancers—Part 1: Histopathology, Differential Diagnoses, And Risk Stratification, Kun Jiang, Sameer Al-Diffalha, Barbara A. Centeno

Pathology and Cell Biology Faculty Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) are the 2 most common primary malignant liver tumors, with hepatocellular and bile ductular differentiation, respectively. This article reviews the key histopathological findings of these 2 primary liver cancers and includes a review of the role of ancillary testing for differential diagnosis, risk stratification according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging recommendation, and a review of precancerous lesions. A literature review was conducted to identify articles with information relevant to precancerous precursors, current histopathological classification, ancillary testing, and risk stratification of primary malignant liver tumors. The histomorphology of normal liver, preinvasive …

Stevens–Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Associated With Zonisamide, Karina L. Vivar, Kimberly Mancl, Lucia Seminario-Vidal

Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Oxidative Stress In Patients With Endemic Pemphigus Foliaceus And Healthy Subjects With Anti-Desmoglein 1 Antibodies, Ericson Leonardo Gutierrez, Willy Ramos, Lucia Seminario-Vidal, Mercedes Tello, Gerardo Ronceros, Alex G. Ortega-Loayza

Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery Faculty Publications

Background: Previous studies have shown oxidative stress in pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus, nevertheless, it remains unknown whether a similar response is characteristic of endemic pemphigus foliaceus in Peru.

Objectives: To determine the oxidative stress response in endemic pemphigus foliaceus patients and subjects with positive for anti-desmoglein1 antibodies (anti-dsg1) from endemic areas of Peru.

Subjects and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The study population included 21 patients with Endemic Pemphigus foliaceus and 12 healthy subjects with anti-dsg1 antibodies from the Peruvian Amazon (Ucayali), as well as 30 healthy control subjects. Malondialdehyde, an indicator of lipid peroxidation by free radicals, …

Personalizing Radiation Treatment Delivery In The Management Of Breast Cancer, Kamran A. Ahmed, G. Daniel Grass, Amber G. Orman, Casey Liveringhouse, Michael E. Montejo, Hatem H. Soliman, Heather S. Han, Brian J. Czerniecki, Javier F. Torres-Roca, Roberto Diaz

Oncologic Sciences Faculty Publications

Long-term data establishes the efficacy of radiotherapy in the adjuvant management of breast cancer. New dose and fractionation schemas have evolved and are available, each with unique risks and rewards. Current efforts are ongoing to tailor radiotherapy to the unique biology of breast cancer. In this review, we discuss our efforts to personalize radiotherapy dosing using genomic data and the implications for future clinical trials. We also explore immune mechanisms that may contribute to a tumor’s unique radiation sensitivity or resistance.

Sb Driver Analysis: A Sleeping Beauty Cancer Driver Analysis Framework For Identifying And Prioritizing Experimentally Actionable Oncogenes And Tumor Suppressors, Justin Y. Newberg, Michael A. Black, Nancy A. Jenkins, Neal G. Copeland, Karen M. Mann, Michael B. Mann

Oncologic Sciences Faculty Publications

Cancer driver prioritization for functional analysis of potential actionable therapeutic targets is a significant challenge. Meta-analyses of mutated genes across different human cancer types for driver prioritization has reaffirmed the role of major players in cancer, including KRAS, TP53 and EGFR, but has had limited success in prioritizing genes with non-recurrent mutations in specific cancer types. Sleeping Beauty (SB) insertional mutagenesis is a powerful experimental gene discovery framework to define driver genes in mouse models of human cancers. Meta-analyses of SB datasets across multiple tumor types is a potentially informative approach to prioritize drivers, and complements efforts …

Patient Perceived Changes In Sexual Dysfunction After Initiation Of Natalizumab For Multiple Sclerosis, Derrick Robertson, Angela Aungst, Ryan Collier, Jhulianna Vivar, Natalie Moreo, Lise Casady, Tuan Vu

Neurology Faculty Publications

Purpose Sexual dysfunction is a common but often overlooked secondary symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) and can be associated with a decreased health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Natalizumab is a disease-modifying therapy approved for the treatment of relapsing forms of MS. In addition to its efficacy, those using natalizumab have shown improvement in HRQoL parameters, including fatigue and cognition. The idea that improvement in fatigue may also correlate with improvement in sexual dysfunction is the impetus for this study.

Methods A single-center, open-label, single-arm, 24-week study was performed to evaluate perceived change in sexual dysfunction in MS patients treated with …

Therapeutic Cocktail Approach For Treatment Of Hyperhomocysteinemia In Alzheimer’S Disease, Michael Leon, Darrell Sawmiller, R. Douglas Shytle, Jun Tan

Neurosurgery and Brain Repair Faculty Publications

In the United States, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, accompanied by substantial economic and emotional costs. During 2015, more than 15 million family members who provided care to AD patients had an estimated total cost of 221 billion dollars. Recent studies have shown that elevated total plasma levels of homocysteine (tHcy), a condition known as hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), is a risk factor for AD. HHcy is associated with cognitive decline, brain atrophy, and dementia; enhances the vulnerability of neurons to oxidative injury; and damages the blood–brain barrier. Many therapeutic supplements containing vitamin B12 and folate have …

Progress And Updates In Stroke Research: Introduction To The Special Issue On Stroke, Yu Luo, John H. Zhang, Paul R. Sanberg, Samantha M. Portis

Neurosurgery and Brain Repair Faculty Publications

As guest editors of this special issue, we are delighted to present 13 articles that discuss advances in stroke research including translational stroke research, stroke research milestones, and proposals for future directions. Stroke is a major cause of disability, and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the fifth leading cause of death in the US alone. Possible factors contributing to stroke pathogenesis are elucidated and possible treatment modalities are explored in the following special issue of Cell Transplantation.

Wada Asymmetry In Patients With Drug-Resistant Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Implications For Postoperative Neuropsychological Outcomes, Ryan W. Sever, Andrew C. Vivas, Fernando L. Vale, Mike R. Schoenberg

Neurosurgery and Brain Repair Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Reduction Of Microhemorrhages In The Spinal Cord Of Symptomatic Als Mice After Intravenous Human Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation Accompanies Repair Of The Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier, David J. Eve, George Steiner, Ajay Mahendrasah, Paul R. Sanberg, Crupa Kurien, Avery Thomson, Cesar V. Borlongan, Svitlana Garbuzova-Davis

Neurosurgery and Brain Repair Faculty Publications

Blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) alterations, including capillary rupture, have been demonstrated in animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and ALS patients. To date, treatment to restore BSCB in ALS is underexplored. Here, we evaluated whether intravenous transplantation of human bone marrow CD34⁺ (hBM34⁺) cells into symptomatic ALS mice leads to restoration of capillary integrity in the spinal cord as determined by detection of microhemorrhages. Three different doses of hBM34⁺ cells (5 × 10⁴, 5 × 10⁵ or 1 × 10⁶) or media were intravenously injected into symptomatic G93A SOD1 mice …

Human Cord Blood Serum-Derived App Α-Secretase Cleavage Activity Is Mediated By C1 Complement, Ahsan Habib, Darrell Sawmiller, Huayan Hou, Manasa Kanithi, Jun Tian, Jin Zeng, Dan Zi, Zhi-Xu He, Paul R. Sanberg, Jun Tan

Neurosurgery and Brain Repair Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly. In healthy individuals, amyloid precursor protein (APP) is cleaved by α-secretase, generating soluble α-amyloid precursor protein (sAPPα), which contributes neuroprotective functions in the neuronal environment. In contrast, in the neurodegenerative environment of AD patients, amyloid-β-peptide (Aβ) of either 40 or 42 residues are generated by increased activity of β- and γ-secretase. These proteins amalgamate in specific regions of the brain, which disrupts neuronal functions and leads to cognitive impairment. Human umbilical cord blood cells (HUCBC) have proven useful as potential immunomodulatory therapies in various models of neurodegenerative diseases, …

Human Umbilical Cord Blood Serum–Derived Α-Secretase: Functional Testing In Alzheimer’S Disease Mouse Models, Ahsan Habib, Huayan Hou, Takashi Mori, Jun Tian, Jin Zeng, Shengnuo Fan, Brian Giunta, Paul R. Sanberg, Darrell Sawmiller, Jun Tan

Neurosurgery and Brain Repair Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related disorder that affects cognition. Our previous studies showed that the neuroprotective fragment of amyloid procurer protein (APP) metabolite, soluble APPα (sAPPα), interferes with β-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1, β-secretase) cleavage and reduces amyloid-β (Aβ) generation. In an attempt to identify approaches to restore sAPPα levels, we found that human cord blood serum (CBS) significantly promotes sAPPα production compared with adult blood serum (ABS) and aged blood serum (AgBS) in Chinese hamster ovary cells stably expressing wild-type human APP. Interestingly, CBS selectively mediated the α-secretase cleavage of human neuron-specific recombinant APP₆₉₅ in a cell-free …

Plasma Derived From Human Umbilical Cord Blood: Potential Cell-Additive Or Cell-Substitute Therapeutic For Neurodegenerative Diseases, Jared Ehrhart, Paul R. Sanberg, Svitlana Garbuzova-Davis

Neurosurgery and Brain Repair Faculty Publications

Limited efficacy of current therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative disease has led to increased interest in alternative therapies. Cord blood plasma (CBP) derived from human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) may be a potential therapeutic. Benefits of CBP injection into rodent models of aging or ischaemic stroke have been demonstrated, though how benefits are elicited is still unclear. The present study evaluated various factors within the same samples of CBP and human adult blood plasma/sera (ABP/S). Also, autologous CBP effects vs. ABP/S or foetal bovine serum supplements on mononuclear cells from hUCB (MNC hUCB) in vitro were determined. Results showed significantly low …

D-Cycloserine-Augmented One-Session Treatment Of Specific Phobias In Children And Adolescents, Lara J. Farrell, Allison M. Waters, Ella L. Oar, Evelin Tiralongo, Vinay Garbharran, Clair Alston-Knox, Harry Mcconnell, Nigel Collings, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Caroline L. Donovan, Chris Testa, Eric A. Storch, Thomas H. Ollendick

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background: D-Cycloserine has potential to enhance exposure therapy outcomes. The current study presents a preliminary randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind pilot trial of DCS-augmented one-session treatment (OST) for youth (7–14 years) with specific phobia. A secondary aim of this pilot study was to explore the effects of youth age and within-session fear reduction as potential moderators of DCS outcomes in order to generate hypotheses for a larger trial. It was hypothesized that DCS would be associated with greater improvements than placebo, that children (7–10 years) would have greater benefits than adolescents (11–14 years), and that DCS effects would be stronger for participants …

Two Unrelated Patients With Autosomal Dominant Omodysplasia And Frizzled2 Mutations, Hannah E. Warren, Raymond J. Louie, Michael J. Friez, Jaime L. Frías, Jules G. Leroy, Jürgen W. Spranger, Steven A. Skinner, Neena L. Champaigne

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy Is Effective And Safe In Non-Achalasia Esophageal Motility Disorders: An International Multicenter Study, Mouen A. Khashab, Pietro Familiari, Peter V. Draganov, Hanaa Dakour Aridi, Joo Young Cho, Michael Ujiki, Ricardo Rio Tinto, Hubert Louis, Pankaj N. Desai, Vic Velanovich, Eduardo Albéniz, Amyn Haji, Jeffrey Marks, Guido Costamagna, Jacques Devière, Yaseen Perbtani, Mason Hedberg, Fermin Estremera, Luis A. Martin Del Campo, Dennis Yang, Majidah Bukhari, Olaya Brewer, Omid Sanaei, Lea Fayad, Amol Agarwal, Vivek Kumbhari, Yen-I Chen

Surgery Faculty Publications

Background and study aims: The efficacy of per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) in non-achalasia esophageal motility disorders such as esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO), diffuse esophageal spasm (DES), and jackhammer esophagus (JE) has not been well demonstrated. The aim of this international multicenter study was to assess clinical outcomes of POEM in patients with non-achalasia disorders, namely DES, JE, and EGJOO, in a large cohort of patients.

Patients and methods: This was a retrospective study at 11 centers. Consecutive patients who underwent POEM for EGJOO, DES, or JE between 1/2014 and 9/2016 were included. Rates of technical success (completion of …

Improvement In Existing Chest Wall Irregularities During Breast Reconstruction, Katherine M. Huber, Amanda Zimmerman, Deniz Dayicioglu

Surgery Faculty Publications

Mastectomies for both cancer resection and risk reduction are becoming more common. Existing chest wall irregularities are found in these women presenting for breast reconstruction after mastectomy and can pose reconstructive challenges. Women who desired breast reconstruction after mastectomy were evaluated preoperatively for existing chest wall irregularities. Case reports were selected to highlight common irregularities and methods for improving cosmetic outcome concurrently with breast reconstruction procedures. Muscular anomalies, pectus excavatum, scoliosis, polythelia case reports are discussed. Relevant data from the literature are presented. Chest wall irregularities are occasionally encountered in women who request breast reconstruction. Correction of these deformities is …

Outcomes In Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap And Implant-Based Reconstruction: Does Age Really Matter?, Lauren V. Kuykendall, Angie Zhang, Bugra Tugertimur, Sara Bijan, Corin Agoris, Ambuj Kumar, Deniz Dayicioglu

Surgery Faculty Publications

Despite the growing elderly population, there is limited research specific to this demographic concerning breast reconstruction (BR). Lack of evidence-based BR recommendations in older populations may contribute to misconceptions and subsequent underutilization of BR, especially autologous BR. Patients who received either deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap BR or tissue expander/implant (TE/I) BR by a single surgeon between July 2011 and July 2015 were surveyed postoperatively by using the psychometrically validated BREAST-Q questionnaire to determine patient satisfaction. Patients were categorized into younger and older cohorts based on median age (55 years) and further stratified based on the type of reconstruction. …

Adnexal Torsion In A Patient With Müllerian Agenesis Undergoing Ovarian Stimulation: A Case Report, Erika P. New, Adrianne R. Mallen, Abigail C. Mancuso, Bradley J. Van Voorhis

Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Background: As assisted reproductive technologies become increasingly available to patients, more women with Müllerian agenesis may undergo ovarian stimulation and oocyte retrieval to have genetically-related offspring. The risk of ovarian torsion is increased in patients utilizing assisted reproductive technologies compared to patients who do not undergo these treatments.

Case: A 25-year-old G0 with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome presented to the emergency room two days after oocyte retrieval with an acute abdomen. During laparoscopy, she was found to have torsion of her left ovary.

Summary and Conclusion: As more young women with Müllerian agenesis present for fertility treatment, this anatomically unique patient cohort …

Association Between Obesity, Surgical Route, And Perioperative Outcomes In Patients With Uterine Cancer, Entidhar Al Sawah, Jason L. Salemi, Mitchel Hoffman, Anthony N. Imudia, Emad Mikhail

Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Objective. To study temporal trends of hysterectomy routes performed for uterine cancer and their associations with body mass index (BMI) and perioperative morbidity. Methods. A retrospective review of the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) 2005-2013 databases was conducted. All patients who were 18 years old and older with a diagnosis of uterine cancer and underwent hysterectomy were identified using ICD-9-CM and CPT codes. Surgical route was classified into four groups: total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), total vaginal hysterectomy (TVH), laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH), and total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) including both conventional and robotically assisted. …

Clinical Utility Of Ca-125 In The Management Of Uterine Carcinosarcoma, Koji Matsuo, Malcolm S. Ross, Mayu Yunokawa, Marian S. Johnson, Hiroko Machida, Kohei Omatsu, Merieme M. Klobocista, Dwight D. Im, Shinya Satoh, Tsukasa Baba, Yuji Ikeda, Stephen H. Bush, Kosei Hasegawa, Erin A. Blake, Munetaka Takekuma, Masako Shida, Masato Nishimura, Sosuke Adachi, Tanja Pejovic, Satoshi Takeuchi, Takuhei Yokoyama, Yutaka Ueda, Keita Iwasaki, Takahito M. Miyake, Shiori Yanai, Tadayoshi Nagano, Tadao Takano, Mian M. Shahzad, Frederick R. Ueland, Joseph L. Kelley, Lynda D. Roman

Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.