Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

Recurrence Of Nephrotic Syndrome Following Kidney Transplantation Is Associated With Initial Native Kidney Biopsy Findings., Jonathan H. Pelletier, Karan R. Kumar, Rachel Engen, Adam Bensimhon, Jennifer D. Varner, Michelle N. Rheault, Tarak Srivastava, Caroline Straatmann, Cynthia Silva, T Keefe Davis, Scott E. Wenderfer, Keisha Gibson, David Selewski, John Barcia, Patricia Weng, Christoph Licht, Natasha Jawa, Mahmoud Kallash, John W. Foreman, Delbert R. Wigfall, Annabelle N. Chua, Eileen Chambers, Christoph P. Hornik, Eileen D. Brewer, Shashi K. Nagaraj, Larry A. Greenbaum, Rasheed A. Gbadegesin

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and minimal change disease (MCD) is a leading cause of end-stage kidney disease in children. Recurrence of primary disease following transplantation is a major cause of allograft loss. The clinical determinants of disease recurrence are not completely known. Our objectives were to determine risk factors for recurrence of FSGS/MCD following kidney transplantation and factors that predict response to immunosuppression following recurrence.

METHODS: Multicenter study of pediatric patients with kidney transplants performed for ESKD due to SRNS between 1/2006 and 12/2015. Demographics, clinical course, and biopsy data were …

Continuous Epidural Analgesia For Postoperative Pain Management: A Policy Analysis, Madison Nowell

Doctoral Projects

Postoperative pain management is a necessary component of the care of every surgical patient. Epidural analgesia is a widely used method to provide excellent postoperative pain relief and enhance postoperative recovery (Sawhney, 2012). Epidural analgesia is associated with fewer side effects than alternative pain management techniques; however, when epidural catheters are managed improperly, or pain is inadequately assessed, epidural analgesia fails to provide adequate pain relief (Deni et al., 2016). More than 80% of surgical patients experience moderate to severe postoperative pain, and 28 to 50% of these patients have a pain score greater than 6 out of 10 at …

Epidemiology Of Diabetic Foot Infection In The Metro-Detroit Area With A Focus On Independent Predictors For Pathogens Resistant To Recommended Empiric Antimicrobial Therapy, Oryan Henig, Jason M. Pogue, Raymond Cha, Paul E. Kilgore, Umar Hayat, Mahmoud Ja'ara, Raza Muhamad Ali, Salman Mahboob, Rahul Pansare, Kathryn Deeds, Bushra Joarder, Hyndavi Kandala, Sorabh Dhar, Keith S. Kaye

Department of Pharmacy Practice

Background. The polymicrobial nature of diabetic foot infection (DFI) and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance have complicated DFI treatment. Current treatment guidelines for deep DFI recommend coverage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and susceptible Enterobacteriaceae. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of DFI and to identify predictors for DFI associated with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) and pathogens resistant to recommended treatment (PRRT).

Methods. Adult patients admitted to Detroit Medical Center from January 2012 to December 2015 with DFI and positive cultures were included. Demographics, comorbidities, microbiological history, sepsis severity, and antimicrobial use within 3 months before DFI were obtained …

Limiting Antibiotic Use In Acute Sinusitis: Partly A Matter Of Vocabulary?, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Dennis J. Baumgardner, MD

In his issue introduction, the editor-in-chief of Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews comments on an included article that describes the successful use of an electronic medical record best practice alert to reduce the rate of antibiotic prescription for acute sinusitis. Various methods previously tried to improve antibiotic stewardship in this illness are briefly reviewed. Borrowing on the model of acute bronchitis, it is suggested that a change in conveyed diagnostic vocabulary to “sinus cold” when describing acute sinusitis may help limit antibiotics for this predominantly viral infection.

Hand Issues On Scleroderma Patients, Ana Font Hernandez

Publications and Research

Based on the design of a 3D-printed spoon prototype, we surveyed scleroderma patients about the device's value. 75% of patients mentioned having problems on their hands due to scleroderma. 85% of patients said their hand form changed because of the disease. Answers to the frequency or speed of the changes provide inconclusive results. The 3D printing technology has the potential to solve specific issues scleroderma patients face in their daily lives. Nevertheless, further research is needed to fully understand how hands shape change over time.

The Chapman Bone Algorithm: A Diagnostic Alternative For The Evaluation Of Osteoporosis, Elise Levesque, Anton Ketterer, Wajiha Memon, Cameron James, Noah Barrett, Cyril Rakovski, Frank Frisch

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease and goes largely undiagnosed throughout the world, due to the inaccessibility of DXA machines. Multivariate analyses of serum bone turnover markers were evaluated in 226 Orange County, California, residents with the intent to determine if serum osteocalcin and serum pyridinoline cross-links could be used to detect the onset of osteoporosis as effectively as a DXA scan. Descriptive analyses of the demographic and lab characteristics of the participants were performed through frequency, means and standard deviation estimations. We implemented logistic regression modeling to find the best classification algorithm for osteoporosis. All calculations and …

Pneumatic Balloon Dilation Versus Myotomy For The Treatment Of Achalsia, Benjamin E. Ueberroth

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A critical appraisal and clinical application of Moonen A, Annese V, Belmans A, et al. Long-term results of the European achalasia trial: A multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing pneumatic dilation versus laparoscopic Heller myotomy. Gut. 2016 May;65(5):732-9. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2015-310602.

Icatibant Is Not An Appropriate Treatment Option For Ace-Inhibitor Induced Angioedema Of The Head And Neck, Faiz Khaja

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A critical appraisal and clinical application of Sinert T, Levy P, Bernstein JA, et al. Randomized trial of icatibant for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-induced upper airway angioedema. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2017;5(5):1402-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2017.03.003

Brain Endothelial Erythrophagocytosis And Hemoglobin Transmigration Across Brain Endothelium: Implications For Pathogenesis Of Cerebral Microbleeds, Rudy Chang, Juan Castillo, Alexander C. Zambon, Tatiana B. Krasieva, Mark J. Fisher, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Peripheral endothelial cells are capable of erythrophagocytosis, but data on brain endothelial erythrophagocytosis are limited. We studied the relationship between brain endothelial erythrophagocytosis and cerebral microhemorrhage, the pathological substrate of MRI-demonstrable cerebral microbleeds. To demonstrate the erythrophagocytic capability of the brain endothelium, we studied the interactions between brain endothelial cells and red blood cells exposed to oxidative stress in vitro, and developed a new in vitro cerebral microbleeds model to study the subsequent passage of hemoglobin across the brain endothelial monolayer. Using multiple approaches, our results show marked brain endothelial erythrophagocytosis of red blood cells exposed to oxidative stress compared …

Ultrasound Guided Placement Of Single-Lumen Peripheral Intravenous Catheters In The Internal Jugular Vein, Tony Zitek, Elizabeth Busby, Heather Hudson, John D. Mccourt, Jamie Baydoun, David E. Slattery

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: The peripheral internal jugular (IJ), also called the “easy IJ,” is an alternative to peripheral venous access reserved for patients with difficult intravenous (IV) access. The procedure involves placing a single-lumen catheter in the IJ vein under ultrasound (US) guidance. As this technique is relatively new, the details regarding the ease of the procedure, how exactly it should be performed, and the safety of the procedure are uncertain. Our primary objective was to determine the success rate for peripheral IJ placement. Secondarily, we evaluated the time needed to complete the procedure and assessed for complications. Methods: This was a …

Cause And Consequence Of Aβ: Lipid Interactions In Alzheimer Disease Pathogenesis, Vijay Rangachari, Dexter N. Dean, Pratip Rana, Ashwin Vaidya, Preetam Ghosh

Faculty Publications

Self-templating propagation of protein aggregate conformations is increasingly becoming a significant factor in many neurological diseases. In Alzheimer disease (AD), intrinsically disordered amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides undergo aggregation that is sensitive to environmental conditions. High-molecular weight aggregates of Aβ that form insoluble fibrils are deposited as senile plaques in AD brains. However, low-molecular weight aggregates called soluble oligomers are known to be the primary toxic agents responsible for neuronal dysfunction. The aggregation process is highly stochastic involving both homotypic (Aβ-Aβ) and heterotypic (Aβ with interacting partners) interactions. Two of the important members of interacting partners are membrane lipids and surfactants, to …

Coping With Chronic Fungal Rhinosinusitis: Diagnosis To Therapy, Veronica Corcino, Leslie Beavin, Shengli Lu, Ashley Ross, Carmen V. Sciortino Jr.

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Direct Quantification Of Deubiquitinating Enzyme Activity In Single Intact Cells, Nora Safabakhsh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Challenges in drug efficacy occur during the treatment of most types of cancer due to the heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment. This has led to the development of personalized medicine. Due to the clinical success of the proteasome inhibitors Bortezomib and Carfilzomib in treatment of multiple myeloma, interest has shifted towards molecularly-targeted chemotherapeutics for ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) are an essential part of this pathway which have been found to promote Bortezomib resistance in multiple myeloma patients. Unfortunately, there is a lack of specific, high throughput biochemical assays to characterize DUB activity in patient samples before and after …

The Early Steps Project: Occupational Therapy In A Pediatric Primary Care Setting, Anne H. Zachry, J. Flick, P. Richey

Faculty Presentations

The purpose of this study is expand on the Early STEPs project goal of identifying early developmental delays in infants and young children in a health disparate population and to collect preliminary data to lay the groundwork for a future NIH grant proposal. Individuals with less education have poor health and shorter life expectancies than well-educated individuals, and research reveals that poverty is directly related to limited education. An innovative approach is needed to overcome barriers, improve health literacy, and educate parents on effective parenting strategies for this population. Technology may be the part of the solution to this issue. …

The Efficacy Of Equine Assisted Therapy In The Treatment Of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Amy Hofmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effects of equine-assisted psychotherapies in children with an autism spectrum disorder. The CARS-2 and Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire parent-report questionnaires were used for evaluation, as well open-ended questions. A single researcher contacted and visited many PATH-certified centers in the United States. Facilities that participated were all located in the Mid-Atlantic to Northeast region. There were 16 participants, from 11 different farms, that completed both the initial and follow-up questionnaires which were given 7 weeks apart. A $25 Amazon gift card was used as an incentive to increase participation. Participating facilities also completed a questionnaire.

Overall, results …

The Legalization Of Medical/Recreational Marijuana: Implications For School Health Drug Education Programs, Joseph Donnelly, Michael Young

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

BACKGROUND

More than half of US states have legalized medical marijuana. Several states have also legalized it for recreational use. In spite of states' actions, marijuana remains illegal under federal law. It remains to be seen, however, if the Trump administration will enforce federal law in states that have legalized marijuana. For now, it appears the move toward state legalization of marijuana will increase. Because of its legal status, research concerning the medical benefits of marijuana has been limited.

METHODS

We reviewed the literature pertaining to medical use and legalization of marijuana.

RESULTS

Available research shows that marijuana can benefit …

Analytical Models Of Neutron Spectral Fluence, Kerma And Absorbed-Dose For Proton Therapy, Suman Shrestha

LSU Master's Theses

Abstract

Purpose: The accurate prediction of stray neutron dose has become increasingly important as it increases the risk of second cancer development after proton therapy. Previously reported analytical models predicted the quantity dose equivalent, which includes physical and biological considerations but does not explicitly take into account material dependence and variation in the radiation quality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an analytical model of absorbed dose to water from stray neutrons in proton therapy.

Methods: To calculate neutron absorbed dose and kerma in water, the authors developed analytical models of neutron spectral fluence and …

Cost-Effective Paper-Based Diagnostic Using Split Proteins To Detect Yeast Infections, Zachary R. Berglund, Kevin V. Solomon, Mohit S. Verma, Moiz Rasheed, Zachary Hartley, Kevin Fitzgerald, Kok Zhi Lee, Janice Chan, Julianne Dejoie, Makayla Schacht, Alex Zavala

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The common yeast infection, vulvovaginal candidiasis, affects three out of four women throughout their lifetime and can be spread to their child in the form of oral candidiasis (thrush). This disease is caused by the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, which is also a major cause of systemic candidiasis, a rarer but deadly disease with up to a 49% lethality rate. Current widely-used diagnostic methods include cell cultures, pH tests, and antibody detection, to assist effective treatment. Despite availability of various diagnostic methods, there is no inexpensive, rapid, and accurate way to detect C. albicans infection. This project aims to …

Tissue Clearing As A Mechanism To Identify Changes In Fibronectin Structure During Breast Cancer Metastasis, Maryam Nuru, Kelsey Hopkins, Luis Solorio

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

With metastasis accounting for approximately 90% of breast cancer deaths and an alarming number of over 300,000 new breast cancer cases to be diagnosed by the end of 2018, there is growing need to understand the process of breast cancer. Changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the tumor microenvironment play an essential role in this deadly tumor progression. Specifically, the glycoprotein fibronectin (FN), has been identified to be up-regulated in patients with worse clinical outcomes. During tumor progression fibronectin undergoes conformational changes that aid in metastatic dissemination. In order to analyze the dynamic changes in FN expression and evaluate …

Characterization Of Theranostic Peptides For Glioblastoma Multiforme, Aaron Mellesmoen

All NMU Master's Theses

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a type of primary CNS tumor in which viable treatment options do not exist. Standard of care including tumor resection, chemotherapy, and radiation does little to extend the 5-year survival expectancy past 5.1%. Herein, two small-peptide molecules with inherent antitumor activity, blood-brain barrier permeability, and capability for tumor-specific drug deliverance and intraoperative visualization (termed theranostic) were of focus. Confocal microscopy was employed to characterize in vitro specificity of chlorotoxin, a 4 kDa scorpion venom peptide, and rBSG, the recombinant 25 kDa non-glycosylated extracellular domain of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN; Basigin) isoform …