Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Previously Cannulated Radial Arteries As Patent Coronary Artery Bypass Conduits, Timothy Watson, Adele Pope, Niels Van Pelt, Peter N Ruygrok

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

In coronary artery bypass grafting, good-quality conduits are needed to maximize the potential for long-term patency. Revascularization has traditionally been achieved with use of the saphenous vein and the internal thoracic arteries. In recent years, total arterial revascularization with use of the radial arteries has been promoted. Meanwhile, use of the transradial approach for coronary angiography has also increased. The long-term effects of previous cannulation in radial artery bypass grafts are not known. Therefore, we used multidetector computed tomographic angiography to investigate radial-artery graft patency in a small series of patients who had undergone transradial angiography. We found a high …

Efficacy Of Oral Anticoagulation In Stroke Prevention Among Sinus-Rhythm Patients Who Lack Left Atrial Mechanical Contraction After Cryoablation, José Martínez-Comendador, Javier Gualis, José Miguel Marcos-Vidal, Jonnatan Buber, Carlos Esteban Martín, Jesús Gomez-Plana, Miguel Angel Rodríguez, Ignacio Iglesias-Garriz, David Alonso, Carlos Soria, Eva Higuera Miguélez, Mario Castaño

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The customary recommendation is that oral anticoagulation be withdrawn a few months after cryoablation for atrial fibrillation, independently of left atrial mechanical contraction in patients in sinus rhythm. Recently, a 5-fold increase in stroke has been described in sinus-rhythm patients who lack atrial mechanical contraction. One aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of oral anticoagulation in preventing postoperative stroke in such patients.

This prospective study divided 154 sinus-rhythm patients into 2 groups, depending on the presence (108 patients) or absence (46 patients) of left atrial mechanical contraction at 6 months after surgery, and monitored them annually for …

Combined Retrograde/Antegrade Approach To Transcatheter Closure Of An Aortic Paravalvular Leak, Abdulla A Damluji, Husnu E Kaynak, Alan W Heldman

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

New interventional techniques have made transcatheter closure of aortic paravalvular leaks a viable therapeutic option to treat the sequelae of these defects, including congestive heart failure and hemolysis. We report the transcatheter closure of an aortic paravalvular leak via a combined retrograde/antegrade approach. This was necessary because of difficulty in crossing the defect with a sheath from the retrograde approach. This technique might be useful in application to other difficult structural heart interventions. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a treated paravalvular leak around a Mitroflow(®) Aortic Pericardial Heart Valve.

Factors Associated With Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Younger African American Men: A Systematic Review, Charles R. Rogers, Patricia Goodson, Margaret Foster

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Of cancers affecting both men and women, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cancer killer among African Americans in the U.S. Compared to White men, African American men have incidence and mortality rates 25% and 50% higher from CRC. Despite the benefits of early detection and the availability of effective screening, most adults over age 50 have not undergone testing, and disparities in colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) persist. Owing to CRC’s high incidence and younger age at presentation among African American men, CRCS is warranted at age 45 rather than 50. However, the factors influencing young adult (i.e., age < 50) African American men’s intention to screen and/or their CRCS behaviors has not been systematically assessed. To assess whether the factors influencing young adult African American men’s screening intentions and behaviors are changeable through structured health education interventions, we conducted a systematic review, with the two-fold purpose of: (1) synthesizing studies examining African American men's knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors regarding CRCS; and (2) assessing these studies’ methodological quality. Utilizing Garrard’s Matrix Method, a total of 28 manuscripts met our inclusion/exclusion criteria: 20 studies followed a non-experimental research design, 4 comprised a quasi-experimental design, and 4, an experimental design. Studies were published between 2002 and 2012; the majority, between 2007 and 2011. The factors most frequently assessed were behaviors (79%), beliefs (68%), and knowledge (61%) of CRC and CRCS. Six factors associated with CRC and CRCS emerged: previous CRCS, CRC test preference, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, CRC/CRCS knowledge, and physician support/recommendation. Studies were assigned a methodological quality score (MQS – ranging from 0 to 21). The mean MQS of 10.9 indicated these studies were, overall, of medium quality and suffered from specific flaws. Alongside a call for more rigorous research, this review provides important suggestions for practice and culturally relevant interventions.

Implementation And Feasibility Of An Auricular Acupuncture Intervention For Smoking Cessation In A Residential Spiritual Recovery Program: A Pilot Study, Cynthia Johnson, Payam Sheikhattari, Lixing Lao, Yvonne Bronner, Fernando Wagner

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Abstract

This study examined the feasibility of recruiting of participants and retention to an auricular acupuncture intervention for smoking cessation at a residential spiritual recovery program for a chemically dependent population in the mid-Atlantic region. The association between beliefs about acupuncture and smoking cessation were also assessed. This was an intervention study guided by the principles of Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR).

The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol was used as part of the smoking cessation intervention (participants received auricular acupuncture for 40 minutes, 3 times per week for 1 month). Smoking cessation, adherence rate to the treatment plan, …

Mutations In The Plasmodium Falciparum Chloroquine Resistance Transporter, Pfcrt, Enlarge The Parasite's Food Vacuole And Alter Drug Sensitivities, Serena Pulcini, Henry M. Staines, Andrew H. Lee, Sarah H. Shafik, Guillaume Bouyer, Catherine M. Moore, Daniel A. Daley, Matthew J. Hoke, Lindsey M. Altenhofen, Heather J. Painter, Jianbing Mu, David J. P. Ferguson, Manuel Llinas, Rowen E. Martin, David A. Fidock, Roland Cooper, Sanjeev Krishna

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter, PfCRT, are the major determinant of chloroquine resistance in this lethal human malaria parasite. Here, we describe P. falciparum lines subjected to selection by amantadine or blasticidin that carry PfCRT mutations (C101F or L272F), causing the development of enlarged food vacuoles. These parasites also have increased sensitivity to chloroquine and some other quinoline antimalarials, but exhibit no or minimal change in sensitivity to artemisinins, when compared with parental strains. A transgenic parasite line expressing the L272F variant of PfCRT confirmed this increased chloroquine sensitivity and enlarged food vacuole phenotype. Furthermore, the introduction …

At Key Fda Meeting, Huntington's Disease Community Insists On Faster Search For Treatments, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Whole-Genome Sequencing Of Kshv From Zambian Kaposi’S Sarcoma Biopsies Reveals Unique Viral Diversity, Landon N. Olp, Adrien Jeanniard, Clemence Marimo, John T. West, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiological agent for Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). Both KSHV and KS are endemic in sub-Saharan Africa where approximately 84% of global KS cases occur. Nevertheless, whole-genome sequencing of KSHV has only been completed using isolates from Western countries—where KS is not endemic. The lack of whole-genome KSHV sequence data from the most clinically important geographical region, sub-Saharan Africa, represents an important gap as it remains unclear whether genomic diversity has a role on KSHV pathogenesis. We hypothesized that distinct KSHV genotypes might be present in sub-Saharan Africa compared to Western countries. Using a KSHV-targeted enrichment …

Missed Opportunities: Public Health Disaster Management In Canada, Lisa Gorman, Christopher Stoney

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Three recent Canadian public health crises present an illustration of both the opportunities for reform and the challenges that may impede progress and public health renewal in federalist nations. While the three crises examined exposed serious flaws in emergency preparedness and fuelled demands for vital public health reform, evidence indicates that fundamental challenges have not been addressed and may have even heightened over the last decade given a move to “open federalism” and the significant fiscal impacts of ongoing austerity measures. With future pandemics inevitable, we identify the missed opportunities to optimize Canada’s emergency response capacity and procedures and examine …

Initial Validation Of A Novel Method Of Presurgical Language Localization Through Functional Connectivity (Fcmri), Stephanie M. Noble, Dustin Scheinost, Susan Y. Bookheimer, Patricia Walshaw, R Todd Constable, Christopher F. Benjamin

Yale Day of Data

OBJECTIVE: Neurosurgery is potentially curative in chronic epilepsy but can only be offered to patients if the surgical risk to language is known. Clinical functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an ideal, noninvasive method for localizing language cortex yet remains to be validated for this purpose. We have recently presented a novel method for localizing language cortex. Here we present a preliminary evaluation of this method’s validity. We hypothesized language regions identified using this novel method would demonstrate stronger functional connectivity than randomly generated set of proximal networks. METHOD: fMRI data were collected from sixteen temporal lobe patients …

The Role Of Residential Segregation In Explaining Racial Gaps In Childhood And Adolescent Obesity, Igor Ryabov

Sociology Faculty Publications

The present study used nationally representative data from the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) merged with census-track data from the American Community Survey (ACS) to model race-ethnic disparities in overweight, obesity, and obesity-related disease among children and adolescents as a function of neighborhood race-ethnic segregation, socio-economic status, household size and structure, family history of obesity, and other important predictors. Results indicate that African American and Hispanic children and adolescents are more likely to suffer from obesity and obesity-related disease than their non-Hispanic White peers. We also found that race-ethnic segregation proxied by the Index of Dissimilarity has a …

As He Lay Dying: Fda And Huntington’S Disease Families Meet To Ponder Potential Treatments, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Myd88 In Lung Resident Cells Governs Airway Inflammatory And Pulmonary Function Responses To Organic Dust Treatment., Jill A. Poole, Todd A. Wyatt, Debra J. Romberger, Elizabeth Staab, Samantha Simet, Stephen J. Reynolds, Joseph H. Sisson, Tammy Kielian

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

Inhalation of organic dusts within agriculture environments contributes to the development and/or severity of airway diseases, including asthma and chronic bronchitis. MyD88 KO (knockout) mice are nearly completely protected against the inflammatory and bronchoconstriction effects induced by acute organic dust extract (ODE) treatments. However, the contribution of MyD88 in lung epithelial cell responses remains unclear. In the present study, we first addressed whether ODE-induced changes in epithelial cell responses were MyD88-dependent by quantitating ciliary beat frequency and cell migration following wounding by electric cell-substrate impedance sensing. We demonstrate that the normative ciliary beat slowing response to ODE is delayed in …

Cfap54 Is Required For Proper Ciliary Motility And Assembly Of The Central Pair Apparatus In Mice., Casey W. Mckenzie, Branch Craige, Tiffany V. Kroeger, Rozzy Finn, Todd A. Wyatt, Joseph H. Sisson, Jacqueline A. Pavlik, University Of Massachusetts Medical School, Gregory M. Hendricks, George B. Witman, Lance Lee

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

Motile cilia and flagella play critical roles in fluid clearance and cell motility, and dysfunction commonly results in the pediatric syndrome primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). CFAP221, also known as PCDP1, is required for ciliary and flagellar function in mice and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, where it localizes to the C1d projection of the central microtubule apparatus and functions in a complex that regulates flagellar motility in a calcium-dependent manner. We demonstrate that the genes encoding the mouse homologues of the other C. reinhardtii C1d complex members are primarily expressed in motile ciliated tissues, suggesting a conserved function in mammalian motile cilia. The …

Relationships Between Positive Psychological Constructs And Health Outcomes In Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review, Christina M. Dubois, Oriana Vesga Lopez, Eleanor E. Beale, Brian C. Healy, Julia K. Boehm, Jeff C. Huffman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Depression and anxiety are well-known to be associated with adverse health outcomes in cardiac patients. However, there has been less work synthesizing the effects of positive psychological constructs (e.g., optimism) on health-related outcomes in cardiac patients. We completed a systematic review of prospective observational studies using established guidelines. A search of PubMed and PsycINFO databases from inception to January 2014 was used to identify articles. To be eligible, studies were required to assess effects of a positive psychological construct on subsequent health-related outcomes (including mortality, rehospitalizations, self-reported health status) in patients with established heart disease. Exploratory random effects' meta-analyses were …

New Film Unmasks The Raw Reality Of Huntington’S Disease, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

A Highly Stable Prefusion Rsv F Vaccine Derived From Structural Analysis Of The Fusion Mechanism, Anders Krarup, Daphné Truan, Polina Furmanova-Hollenstein, Lies Bogaert, Pascale Bouchier, Ilona Bisschop, Myra Widjojoatmodjo, Roland Zahn, Hanneke Schuitemaker, Jason Mclellan, Johannes Langedijk

Dartmouth Scholarship

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes acute lower respiratory tract infections and is the leading cause of infant hospitalizations. Recently, a promising vaccine antigen based on the RSV fusion protein (RSV F) stabilized in the native prefusion conformation has been described. Here we report alternative strategies to arrest RSV F in the prefusion conformation based on the prevention of hinge movements in the first refolding region and the elimination of proteolytic exposure of the fusion peptide. A limited number of unique mutations are identified that stabilize the prefusion conformation of RSV F and dramatically increase expression levels. This highly stable prefusion …

Nut Consumption And Cardiovascular Risk In Older Chinese: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study, Yangbo Sun, Chao Qiang Jiang, Kar Keung Cheng, Wei Sen Zhang, Gabriel M. Leung, Tai Hing Lam, Mary Schooling

Publications and Research

Objectives
In Western contexts nut consumption is associated with better health. We examined the associations of nut consumption with cardiovascular disease risk in the non-Western setting of Southern China.

Methods
In the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study we used multivariable linear regression to examine the associations of baseline nut (mainly peanuts) consumption (none (n = 6688),/ week (n = 2596) and _3 portions/week (n = 2444)) with follow-up assessment of Framingham cardiovascular disease score (excluding smoking) and its components in older Chinese (_50 years) (follow-up 57.8%).

Results
Nut consumption was not associated with Framingham score (_3 portions/week compared to none: 0.02 …

Speckle-Tracking Echocardiographic Measures Of Right Ventricular Function Correlate With Improvement In Exercise Function After Percutaneous Pulmonary Valve Implantation., Shahryar M. Chowdhury, Ziyad M. Hijazi, John T. Fahey, John F. Rhodes, Saibal Kar, Raj Makkar, Michael Mullen, Qi-Ling Cao, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Speckle-tracking echocardiographic (STE) measures of right ventricular (RV) function appear to improve after transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation (TPVI). Measures of exercise function, such as ventilatory efficiency (the minute ventilation [VE]/carbon dioxide production [VCO2] slope), have been shown to be prognostic of mortality in patients who may require TPVI. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between STE measures of RV function and changes in VE/VCO2 after TPVI.

METHODS: Speckle-tracking echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise testing were performed at baseline and 6 months after TPVI in 24 patients from four centers. Conventional echocardiographic measures of RV function were …

Risk Of Death From Cardiovascular Disease Associated With Low-Level Arsenic Exposure Among Long-Term Smokers In A Us Population-Based Study, Shohreh F. Farzan, Yu Chen, Judy R. Rees, M. Scot Zens, Margaret Karagas

Dartmouth Scholarship

High levels of arsenic exposure have been associated with increases in cardiovascular disease risk. However, studies of arsenic’s effects at lower exposure levels are limited and few prospective studies exist in the United States using long-term arsenic exposure biomarkers. We conducted a prospective analysis of the association between toenail arsenic and cardiovascular disease mortality using longitudinal data collected on 3939 participants in the New Hampshire Skin Cancer Study. Using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for potential confounders, we estimated hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals associated with the risk of death from any cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and stroke, …

Pathogen-Specific Burdens Of Community Diarrhoea In Developing Countries: A Multisite Birth Cohort Study (Mal-Ed), Sadia Shakoor, Shahida Qureshi, Furqan Kabir, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Imran Ahmed, Didar Alam, Syed Asad Ali, Muneera Rasheed, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Ali Turab, Aisha Khizar Yousafzai

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Most studies of the causes of diarrhoea in low-income and middle-income countries have looked at severe disease in people presenting for care, and there are few estimates of pathogen-specific diarrhoea burdens in the community.
Methods: We undertook a birth cohort study with not only intensive community surveillance for diarrhoea but also routine collection of non-diarrhoeal stools from eight sites in South America, Africa, and Asia. We enrolled children within 17 days of birth, and diarrhoeal episodes (defined as maternal report of three or more loose stools in 24 h, or one loose stool with visible blood) were identified through …

Commentary On "Systemic Candidiasis And Cytomegalovirus Infection In The Setting Of Artificial Cardiac Device Deployment", Moises A. Huaman

The VAD Journal

No abstract provided.

Chronic Ldh Elevation After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation, Hesham R. Omar, Navin Rajagopalan, Maya Guglin

The VAD Journal

A 61-year-old woman who underwent HeartMate II left ventricular assist device placement for non-ischemic cardiomyopathy developed elevated lactate dehydrogenase within two weeks after implantation. After eight months of observation and several hospital admissions during which there was no evidence of pump thrombosis, she presented with clinically manifest hemolysis. During pump exchange there was notable pannus formation on the inflow cannula of the left ventricular assist device. The pannus around the inflow likely existed for several months, limiting the flow and creating a low-grade hemolysis and this low flow state stimulated thrombus formation triggering gross hemolysis. Thoratec analysis of the pump …

Reinforcing The Global Fight Against Huntington’S Disease: A Visit To Brazil And A Reminder Of Our Common Struggles, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Ccr5 And The Blood Brain Barrier During Hiv-1 Infection And Cell-Cell Communications, Shawna M. Woollard

Theses & Dissertations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) infection often results in blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction and central nervous system (CNS) impairment. Since most viral strains that cross the BBB and enter the CNS are macrophage-tropic and use the C-C chemokine receptor type-5 (CCR5) to enter and infect target cells, we hypothesized that CCR5 plays a major role in monocytes-endothelial interactions and HIV-induced BBB dysfunction. Because the cytoskeleton is responsible for cellular morphology and motility, we further hypothesized that HIV-induced monocyte-endothelial interactions and transendothelial migration involve cytoskeletal changes and that CCR5 blockers would also affect these changes. To this end we used two small …

Clinical Outcomes After Drug-Eluting Stents Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery In High Surgical Risk Patients With Left Main Or Three-Vessel Coronary Artery Disease, Tonga Nfor, Kambiz Shetabi, Wael Hassan, Quinta Nfor, Jayant Khitha, Anjan Gupta, Tanvir Bajwa, Suhail Allaqaband

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

Previous studies comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) in patients with unprotected left main or three-vessel coronary artery disease (LM-3VD) have excluded patients at high surgical risk. We compared clinical outcomes after PCI with drug-eluting stents to CABG in high surgical risk patients with LM-3VD.

Methods

Patients with symptomatic LM-3VD who had Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)-predicted operative mortality >5% and were undergoing either PCI with drug-eluting stents or CABG at a tertiary care center from January 2009 to December 2010 were enrolled in this nonrandomized prospective study.

Results

Mean STS score was …

New Paradigms In The Treatment Of Acute Complicated And Uncomplicated Type B Aortic Dissection, Eric S. Weiss

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The treatment of acute type B aortic dissection is a rapidly evolving field, due in a large part to the advent of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). This review will summarize the current literature on the management of both complicated and uncomplicated type B dissections, with special attention paid to emerging evidence supporting earlier aggressive treatment.

Vascular Medicine: A ‘Primary’ Specialty, Mark W. Mewissen

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

N/A

Overview Of The Role Of Duplex Ultrasound For Treatment And Surveillance Of Peripheral Arterial Disease, John H. Fish Iii, Peter Klein-Weigel, Gustav Fraedrich

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Imaging strategies for preinterventional planning in symptomatic peripheral artery disease have employed various modalities ranging from duplex ultrasound to noninvasive angiography with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MRA). These methods have classically been compared to the gold standard of digital subtraction angiography and are reviewed here in detail through the work of relevant published studies and meta-analyses between 1996 and 2014. In particular, we focus on the diagnostic performance, reproducibility and cost-effectiveness of these aforementioned modalities with respect to mapping the lower extremity arterial tree for planning vascular intervention and surveillance. The data presented suggests comparable sensitivity and specificity …

Subclavian Vein Stenosis/Occlusion Following Transvenous Cardiac Pacemaker And Defibrillator Implantation: Incidence, Pathophysiology And Current Management, Brian O'Leary, Suhail Allaqaband

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Subclavian vein stenosis is a common, but usually asymptomatic, complication following cardiac device placement. In addition to reviewing the literature on incidence, pathogenesis and management options for this important clinical problem, we describe two cases of symptomatic subclavian vein occlusion following pacemaker/defibrillator placement and successful treatment with venoplasty and stenting.