Anatomy Commons^™

Neuroanatomical Distribution Of Neurons Within The Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus That Project To The Brainstem Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla, Nicolas Fuller

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The sympathetic nervous system is important in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis. Elevated cardiovascular-related sympathetic activity can lead to neurogenic hypertension and a host of other serious cardiac-related abnormalities. The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus plays an important role in sympathetic cardiovascular regulation. Neurons from the PVN project to the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), which is the main brain stem sympathetic cardiovascular control center. While RVLM-projecting PVN neurons have been well characterized, the topographical organization within the PVN subnuclei is still not fully known. This neuroanatomical study aimed to map the topographical distribution of RVLM-projecting PVN neurons. Four different carboxylate FluoSphereTM …

Investigation Of The Ectocranial Squamosal Suture To Estimate Age-At-Death, Navit S. Nachmias

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Storage Conditions On Bpa Leaching From Infant Oral Hygiene Products Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Emma Bynum

Honors Theses

Infants are at the highest risk of BPA exposure compared to any other stage of life. Because an infant’s endocrine system is developing, exposure to an endocrine-disruptor, such as BPA, can be especially harmful. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a structural component in many plastic products, which acts as an endocrine-disruptor mimicking estrogen. This hormonal disruption has been linked to obesity, reproductive issues, cardiovascular problems, and the neurodevelopment disorders. While the FDA monitors things like baby bottles, canned goods, and plastic containers for BPA, infantile oral hygiene products are not closely monitored. Previous research tested infant toothbrushes on the market using a …

Extracting Dna From Embalmed Tissue To Study Genetic Predisposition To Degenerative Disc Disease, Conner Lynn

Undergraduate Theses

INTRODUCTION. According to a prominent study, 80-90% of people will show some evidence of degenerative disc disease (DDD) by age 50. Researchers have proposed that a Q326W substitution in the COL9A2 gene increases susceptibility to DDD. The role of collagen IX in intervertebral discs is not completely known, but due to its increased flexibility compared to other types of collagens, it is thought to connect collagen II with other components of the cartilage which are important to the integrity of the disc. Collagen II can be found within the nucleus pulposus and the inner portion of the annulus fibrosis. Researchers …

Blood Flow Restriction And Various Intensity Exercise In The Upper Extremity, Noelle Ashlyn Kaminski, Andrew Lowe

Masters Theses

Purpose: To determine if using Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) combined with low-load exercise can elicit an increase in strength and tendon size of the distal biceps tendon when compared to high-load exercise protocol. Methods: Twenty-one participants (11 M, 10 F; 2 Left-handed: 19 Right-handed; Age range 18-25yoa) were randomized to either the treatment group (BFR + low load exercise) or the control group (high load exercise). Participants were enrolled in a 7-week exercise protocol, with exercise sessions held twice weekly. The first week included measurements of each participant's 1 repetition maximum (1RM) and ultrasound measurements of the dominant distal bicep’s …

Indispensable Role Of Immunophenotyping In Diagnosing Leukemic Phase Of Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm Without Cutaneous Manifestation, Hareem Alam, Nabiha Saeed, Anila Rashid

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm usually presents as skin lesions. Diagnostic error occurs when it primarily presents in leukemic phase without skin involvement. Triad of CD4, CD56 and CD123 immunophenotype expression is essential to avoid misdiagnosis of this rare hematological malignancy. Here we describe a patient who presented in overt leukemic phase of BPDCN highlighting diagnostic challenges encountered that resulted in delayed diagnosis and poor outcome

Differential Associations Of Conduct Disorder, Callous‑Unemotional Traits And Irritability With Outcome Expectations And Values Regarding The Consequences Of Aggression, J. Elowsky, S. Bajaj, J. Bashford‑Largo, R. Zhang, A. Mathur, A. Schwartz, M. Dobbertin, K. S. Blair, E. Leibenluft, D. Pardini, R. J.R. Blair

Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior: Papers & Publications

Background: Previous work has examined the association of aggression levels and callous-unemotional traits with outcome expectations and values regarding the consequences of aggression. Less work has examined the outcome expectations and values regarding the consequences of aggression of adolescents with Conduct Disorder (CD). Also, no studies have examined links between irritability (a second socio-affective trait associated with CD) and these social cognitive processes despite the core function of anger in retaliatory aggression and establishing dominance.

Method: The current study, investigating these issues, involved 193 adolescents (typically developing [TD; N = 106], 87 cases with CD [N = 87]). Participants completed …

Outcomes Of Covid-19 Infection In Patients With Hematological Malignancies- A Multicenter Analysis From Pakistan, Adeeba Zaki, Salman Muhammad Soomar, Danish Hasan Khan, Hasan Shaharyar Sheikh, Raheel Iftikhar, Ayaz Mir, Zeba Aziz, Khadija Bano, Hafsa Naseer, Qamar Un-Nisa Chaudhry

Section of Haematology/Oncology

Purpose: COVID-19 infection resulting from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began to spread across the globe in early 2020. Patients with hematologic malignancies are supposed to have an increased risk of mortality from coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) infection. From Pakistan, we report the analysis of the outcome and interaction between patient demographics and tumor subtype and COVID-19 infection and hematological malignancy.
Patients and methods: This multicenter, retrospective study included adult patients with a history of histologically proven hematological malignancies who were tested positive for COVID-19 via PCR presented at the oncology department of 5 tertiary care hospitals …

The Effects Of Paclitaxel On Cellular Migration And The Cytoskeleton, Ashley Salguero-Gonzalez

Thinking Matters Symposium

In a clinical setting, some patients are exposed to an anti-cancer chemotherapy agent, paclitaxel. Cancerous cells undergo rapid, continuous cell division without control. Chemotherapy treatments try to slow and stop the uncontrollable cell division cycles and eliminate cancerous cells in the process. Paclitaxel serves as a treatment for some types of cancers, including lung, melanoma, bladder, and esophageal. Because it targets the cytoskeleton, paclitaxel can also influence cell migration. This project utilizes a cellular migration assay and an immunohistochemistry assay to analyze the effects of paclitaxel on the movement of cells and on the cytoskeleton of neuroglia rat cells with …

Parkinson's Disease And Exercise: Steps Into A Hopeful Future, Jacob Barker

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

In the world of medicine and disease interventions, exercise is too often underlooked as a viable form of treatment or complementary treatment to medication. This is especially true with Parkinson’s Disease, a disease that attacks the basal ganglia of the brain and impairs neuromuscular function. In my analysis, I read a perspective from a PD patient, Gerry Hill, who has struggled with the disease himself and how he used physical activity to aid in his battle with the disease for both physical and psychological aid. Additionally, I performed research to understand how exercise benefits function within the brain. Aerobic exercise, …

Electrocardiogram-Based Machine Learning Emulator Model For Predicting Novel Echocardiography-Derived Phenogroups For Cardiac Risk-Stratification: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study, Heenaben B. Patel, Naveena Yanamala, Brijesh Patel, Sameer Raina, Peter D. Farjo, Srinidhi Sunkara, Márton Tokodi, Nobuyuki Kagiyama, Grace Casaclang-Verzosa, Partho P. Sengupta

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Electrocardiography (ECG)-derived machine learning models can predict echocardiography (echo)-derived indices of systolic or diastolic function. However, systolic and diastolic dysfunction frequently coexists, which necessitates an integrated assessment for optimal risk-stratification. We explored an ECG-derived model that emulates an echo-derived model that combines multiple parameters for identifying patient phenogroups at risk for major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

Methods: In this substudy of a prospective, multicenter study, patients from 3 institutions (n = 727) formed an internal cohort, and the fourth institution was reserved as an external test set (n = 518). A previously validated patient similarity analysis model was used …

Anakinra Treatment Efficacy In Reduction Of Inflammatory Biomarkers In Covid-19 Patients: A Meta-Analysis, Zunaira Naveed, Musharraf Sarwar, Zahid Ali, Danish Saeed, Khadija Choudhry, Azza Sarfraz, Zouina Sarfraz, Miguel Felix, Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: Anakinra is being empirically considered for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The aim is to assess the efficacy of anakinra treatment on inflammatory marker reduction, including c-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, serum ferritin, and serum d-dimer levels.
Methods: Adhering to PRISMA 2020 statement guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across the following databases from December 2019 until January 10, 2022: PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, Scopus, and EMBASE. The following keywords were employed: Anakinra, COVID*, SARS-CoV-2, inflammatory, CRP, D-dimer, Ferritin, hematological, laboratory, clinical, trials. The findings were collated and presented in a tabulated manner, and statistically analyzed using Review …

What Did We Learn About Vads In 2021?, Maya Guglin

The VAD Journal

This is our 8th annual literature review on mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices.

Our previous reports were well received by the readers. The full text of the reviews for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020^1-7 were downloaded 821, 861, 701, 869, 951, 272, and 365 times, respectively.

In this review, we summarized the most interesting and important, from our standpoint, publications from 2021. There may be some slight overlap with the end of 2020 because some papers were published online first, and the year of the publication changed when they became …

Lenalidomide Induced Secondary Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia In A Multiple Myeloma Patient: A Case-Report, Saqib Raza Khan, Muhammad Tariq, Sidra Malik Fayyaz, Salman Muhammad Soomar, Munira Moosajee

Section of Haematology/Oncology

Lenalidomide mechanism of action has been shown to modulate the different components of the immune system. A 68-year-old lady presented to us with severe backache and was then diagnosed with MM. Lenalidomide started as per protocol along with dexamethasone. Later, she presented with complaints of generalized weakness and her workup showed significant blast cells with Pan-B-cell markers consistent with secondary B-ALL. The reported incidence of secondary Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia is 2.3%. The development of more aggressive neoplasm in a patient with prior malignancy dictates a poor outcome and hence such patients should be enrolled in a clinical trial whenever available

Telemedicine For Rheumatology Patients In Covid-19 Pandemic: Perspectives Of Patients, Muhammad Mehmood Riaz, Saad Bin Zafar Mahmood, Noreen Nasir

Section of Internal Medicine

Telemedicine use for patients with autoimmune rheumatic conditions during the pandemic mandates better characterization. We conducted a telephonic survey on patients who consulted rheumatologists remotely to determine their attitudes toward telemedicine. The study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan which is a lower-middle-income country. Descriptive analyses were performed. Fifty patients visited tele-rheumatology clinic, 35 (70.0%) were female with a mean (SD) age of 47.6 (18.1) years. Majority (27, 54.0%) learned about telemedicine from hospital website and outpatient clinic desk or helpline. Lack of examination was the biggest concern with teleconsultation (18, 22.2%). Most …

Characterisation Of Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Mutations And Transmission In Pakistan, Gary Napier, Anwar Sheed Khan, Abdul Jabbar, Muhammad Tahir Khan, Sajid Ali, Muhammad Qasim, Noor Mohammad, Rumina Hasan, Zahra Hasan, Susana Campino

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a high-burden disease in Pakistan, with multi-drug (MDR) and extensive-drug (XDR) resistance, complicating infection control. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of M. tuberculosis is being used to infer lineages (strain-types), drug resistance mutations, and transmission patterns-all informing infection control and clinical decision making. Here we analyse WGS data on 535 M. tuberculosis isolates sourced across Pakistan between years 2003 and 2020, to understand the circulating strain-types and mutations related to 12 anti-TB drugs, as well as identify transmission clusters. Most isolates belonged to lineage 3 (n = 397; 74.2%) strain-types, and were MDR (n = …

Protocol For A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial Of Secondary Distribution Of Hepatitis C Self-Testing Within The Context Of A House-To-House Hepatitis C Micro-Elimination Programme In Karachi, Pakistan, Sonjelle Shilton, Dania Ali, Alyia Hasnain, Adeel Abid, Jessica Markby, Muhammad S. Jamil, Niklas Luhmann, Pamela Nabeta, Stefano Ongarello, Saeed Hamid

Medical College Documents

Background: Globally, just 21% of the estimated 58 million people living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) know their status. Thus, there is considerable need to scale-up HCV testing if the World Health Organization (WHO) 2030 hepatitis elimination goals are to be achieved. HCV self-testing may assist with this; however, there are currently no data on the real-world impact of HCV self-testing. With an estimated 5% of the general population living with HCV, Pakistan has the second highest HCV burden in the world. This study aims to evaluate the acceptability and impact of home delivery of HCV self-testing for secondary distribution …

Post-Intensive Care Syndrome Prevention And Detection In Covid-19 Patients, Bethany Sloane Melega

Student Scholar Showcase

COVID-19 has impacts on patient health beyond the hospital. The trauma that patients, and families of patients, can experience during an admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) can last long after discharge from the ICU and the hospital in general. The psychological and physical impacts of ICU hospitalization can cause patients to experience Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). PICS is the culmination of symptoms that persist after a critical illness that involve all aspects of a patient’s physical and mental well-being and can significantly affect family life and increase recovery time. Due to the strict personal-protective equipment (PPE) usage …

Effect Of Sin Lek Rice Intervention On Cognitive Function, Dietary Patterns, And Fecal Microbiota Of Elementary School Children In Chiang Rai, Thailand, Angie Setthavongsack, Siam Popluechai, Jackilen Shannon, Justin Denny, Eleni Gentekaki, Kongkiat Kespechara, Lucsame Gruneck, Thomas J. Sharpton, Kullawong Niwed, Lisa K. Marriott

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Thailand has struggled with malnutrition rates in young children. Rice is a key component of Southeast Asian diets and a whole grain rice varietal (Sin Lek) may support improved nutrition. Diet can influence cognitive function and human gut microbiota, which were explored in the context of a rice intervention. We conducted a pilot study using a non-randomized, crossover clinical trial of Sin Lek rice versus traditional white rice consumption in elementary school children in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Outcomes related to diet, anthropological factors, cognitive function (e.g., short-term working memory, attention, impulsivity), and gut microbial populations were measured at baseline and …

Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Methanolic Extract On Isolated Smooth Muscles And Acetylcholinesterase Enzyme: An In Vitro And Mechanistic In Silico Investigation, Muhammad Nabeel Ghayur, Mohnad Abdalla, Asaad Khalid, Saeed Ahmad, Anwar Gilani

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Results: When tested on the baseline of isolated tissues, Tfg.Cr was devoid of any activity (stimulant or relaxant) till 10 mg/ml. This is an interesting finding, keeping in mind that the fenugreek seeds are used to alleviate constipation and diarrhoea. When Tfg.Cr was tried for any potential AChE inhibitory activity, it did show an inhibitory effect in increasing concentrations (47-380 μg/ml). This inhibitory effect was comparable to the effect produced by a standard AChE inhibitor physostigmine. One of the known fenugreek constituents, diosgenin, was also tested, and it also showed an AChE inhibitory effect in a concentration-dependent manner (11-190 …