Digital Commons Network^™

From Ideas To Efficacy: The Orbit Model For Developing Behavioral Treatments For Chronic Diseases, Susan M. Czajkowski, Lynda H. Powell, Nancy Adler, Sylvie Naar-King, Kim D. Reynolds, Christine M. Hunter, Barbara Laraia, Deborah H. Olster, Frank M. Perna, Janey C. Peterson, Elissa Epel, Josephine E. Boyington, Mary Charlson

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Objective: Given the critical role of behavior in preventing and treating chronic diseases, it is important to accelerate the development of behavioral treatments that can improve chronic disease prevention and outcomes. Findings from basic behavioral and social sciences research hold great promise for addressing behaviorally based clinical health problems, yet there is currently no established pathway for translating fundamental behavioral science discoveries into health-related treatments ready for Phase III efficacy testing. This article provides a systematic framework for developing behavioral treatments for preventing and treating chronic diseases. Method: The Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trials (ORBIT) model for behavioral treatment development features …

Design Of A Multi-Center Immunophenotyping Analysis Of Peripheral Blood, Sputum And Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid In The Subpopulations And Intermediate Outcome Measures In Copd Study (Spiromics), Christine M. Freeman, Sean Crudgington, Valerie R. Stolberg, Jeanette P. Brown, Joanne Sonstein, Neil E. Alexis, Claire M. Doerschuk, Patricia V. Basta, Elizabeth E. Carretta, David J. Couper, Annette T. Hastie, Robert J. Kaner, Wanda K. O'Neal, Robert Paine, Stephen I. Rennard, Daichi Shimbo, Prescott G. Woodruff, Michelle Zeidler, Jeffrey L. Curtis

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcomes in COPD Study (SPIROMICS) is a multi-center longitudinal, observational study to identify novel phenotypes and biomarkers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In a subset of 300 subjects enrolled at six clinical centers, we are performing flow cytometric analyses of leukocytes from induced sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and peripheral blood. To minimize several sources of variability, we use a "just-in-time" design that permits immediate staining without pre-fixation of samples, followed by centralized analysis on a single instrument.

METHODS: The Immunophenotyping Core prepares 12-color antibody panels, which are shipped to the six Clinical Centers shortly before …

The Effect Of Statins On Blood Gene Expression In Copd, Ma'en Obeidat, Nick Fishbane, Yunlong Nie, Virginia Chen, Zsuzsanna Hollander, Scottj Tebbutt, Yohan Bossé, Raymond T. Ng, Bruce E. Miller, Bruce Mcmanus, Stephen I. Rennard, Peter D. Paré, Don D. Sin

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: COPD is currently the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Statins are lipid lowering agents with documented cardiovascular benefits. Observational studies have shown that statins may have a beneficial role in COPD. The impact of statins on blood gene expression from COPD patients is largely unknown.

OBJECTIVE: Identify blood gene signature associated with statin use in COPD patients, and the pathways underpinning this signature that could explain any potential benefits in COPD.

METHODS: Whole blood gene expression was measured on 168 statin users and 451 non-users from the ECLIPSE study using the Affymetrix Human Gene 1.1 ST microarray chips. …

Geographic Variation In Antidiabetic Agent Adherence And Glycemic Control Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Eleanora Tan, Wenya Yang, Bo Pang, Mingliang Dai, F. Ellen Loh, Paul Hogan

Touro College of Pharmacy (New York) Publications and Research

BACKGROUND: Medication nonadherence is an imperative public health concern. Among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), poor adherence to antidiabetic agents is strongly associated with suboptimal glycemic control. Poor adherence and hyperglycemia greatly increase diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. At a national level, diabetes drug adherence using average proportion of days covered (PDC) is estimated to range between 36% and 81%, with an estimated range for diabetes control between 38% and 47%. At a state level no such studies exist.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the level of medication adherence to antidiabetic agents and of diabetes control, and their association among patients …

Predictors Of Non-­Adherence To Medical Follow-­Up Care Among African Americans With Hiv/Aids, Phyllis D. Morgan, Cynthia B. Banks, Joshua Fogel

2010-2016 Archived Posters

Persons living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) who do not adhere to their medical follow-­ up appointments tend to have poorer health outcomes compared to HIV/AIDS patients who adhere to their medical follow-­up appointments (Lima et al., 2009). This study examined factors that influence non-­adherence of African-­Americans with HIV/AIDS to medical follow-­up appointments.

May Circulating Micrornas Be Gastric Cancer Diagnostic Biomarkers?, Xiaoling Wu, Xiaohui (Jane) Tan, Sidney W. Fu

Medicine Faculty Publications

Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. More than 80% of the diagnosis was made at the advanced stages of the disease, highlighting the urgent demand for novel biomarkers that can be used for early detection. Recently, a number of studies suggest that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) could be potential biomarkers for GC diagnosis. Cancer-related circulating miRNAs, as well as tissue miRNAs, provide a hopeful prospect of detecting GC at early stages, and the prospective participation of miRNAs in biomarker development will enhance the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests for GC. As miRNAs in blood are …

The Cost-Effectiveness Of Diabetes Prevention: Results From The Diabetes Prevention Program And The Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study, William Herman

GW Biostatistics Center

Background

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) was a randomized, controlled clinical trial. It demonstrated that among high-risk individuals with impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes incidence was reduced by 58 % with lifestyle intervention and 31 % with metformin compared to placebo. During the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS), all DPP participants were unmasked to their treatment assignments, the original lifestyle intervention group was offered additional lifestyle support, the metformin group continued metformin, and all three groups were offered a group-implemented lifestyle intervention. Over the 10 years of combined DPP/DPPOS follow-up, diabetes incidence was reduced by 34 % in the lifestyle …

Multiplexed Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Of The 16s Rrna Gene For The Diagnosis Of Neonatal Sepsis In Resource-Limited Environments, Griffin T. Sonaty

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Sepsis, or dysregulated inflammation caused by bacterial infection, places a disproportionately high burden on newborns in developing countries. This is due in part to a lack of diagnostic tools suitable for sustainable use in resource-limited nurseries. One potential vehicle for a new diagnostic assay is loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), a high-yield DNA amplification method. LAMP has previously been used to detect genes from single species of bacteria in blood serum samples to aid in sepsis diagnosis. LAMP could be adapted to detect a broad set of bacteria, while retaining a degree of specificity that allows clinicians to begin directed antimicrobial …

Prostate Cancer And Afro-Caribbean Men: Experiences, Perceptions, And Beliefs, Harold E. Taitt Jr.

2010-2016 Archived Posters

The incidence of prostate cancer is high among men of African descent. Research questions in this phenomenological study considered the perceptions and beliefs of Afro-Caribbean men. Participants conveyed low disease awareness, but believed that early diagnosis increased survival chances. Findings revealed strategies to help reduce mortality from the disease.

Using Heart Models For Physiology Teaching And Learning, Sowmya Anjur

Faculty Publications & Research

Over the last few decades, there has been a shift in the classroom from a teacher-centered learning environment, with its emphasis on content delivery, to a student-centered environment focused on inquiry learning (http://www.nsta.org/docs/ PositionStatement_Scienti cInquiry.pdf). With the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, 2012) being adopted by many states, students are no longer passive listeners, but actively participate in and initiate class discussions (Weimar, 2013). Additionally, recent technological advances have allowed students to acquire information from sources such as the internet which no longer necessitates the teacher giving lectures (Silver- thorn, 2006). The more student-centered learning environment allows students to better …

Isolated Cardiac Amyloidosis: An Enigma Unravelled, Umair Khalid, Omar Awar, Gordana Verstovsek, Benjamin Cheong, Sarvari Venkata Yellapragada, Hani Jneid, Anita Deswal, Salim S. Virani

Office of the Provost

Amyloidosis is a rare, multisystem disease characterized by deposition of fibrils in extracellular tissue involving kidney, liver, heart, autonomic nervous system, and several other organs. This report discusses a 75-year-old male who presented with worsening dyspnea on exertion, orthopnea, and lower-extremity edema. On physical exam, he had elevated jugular venous pressure and lower-extremity edema. Electrocardiogram depicted low voltage in limb leads and a prolonged PR interval. Echocardiogram revealed left ventricular hypertrophy, severe biatrial dilatation, and restrictive filling physiology. Coronary angiography showed absence of significant epicardial coronary artery disease. On right heart catheterization, a "dip-and-plateau sign" was noted on right ventricular …

The Induction Of Emt And Activation Of Adipose Stem Cells In Correlation With The Secretion Of Ltbp-1 In Mammary Cells, Roshni Malik, Lauren Griggs, Dr. Christopher Lemmon Phd

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

This work is part of an ongoing study that investigates the upregulation of LTBP-1 in mammary epithelial cells as well as the differentiation of breast adipose stem cells (BASCs) in the presence of TGF-β1. Through immunofluorescence imaging, LTBP-1 is shown to co-localize with fibronectin fibrils in adipose stem cells. Previous work from our lab has shown that blocking fibronectin fibril formation can inhibit Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Thus, targeting of fibronectin assembly could be a potent new therapeutic in cancer treatment. In the current work, we focus on the pharmacodynamics of a FN assembly inhibitor derived from the protein Adhesin F1 (refered …

Identifying A Gene Expression Signature Of Frequent Copd Exacerbations In Peripheral Blood Using Network Methods, Jarrett D. Morrow, Weiliang Qiu, Divya Chhabra, Stephen I. Rennard, Paula Belloni, Anton Belousov, Sreekumar G. Pillai, Craig P. Hersh

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), characterized by acute deterioration in symptoms, may be due to bacterial or viral infections, environmental exposures, or unknown factors. Exacerbation frequency may be a stable trait in COPD patients, which could imply genetic susceptibility. Observing the genes, networks, and pathways that are up- and down-regulated in COPD patients with differing susceptibility to exacerbations will help to elucidate the molecular signature and pathogenesis of COPD exacerbations.

METHODS: Gene expression array and plasma biomarker data were obtained using whole-blood samples from subjects enrolled in the Treatment of Emphysema With a Gamma-Selective Retinoid Agonist (TESRA) …

The Effects Of Speech Impairment On Quality Of Life Over Time In Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Jacqueline Kelley Blessinger

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Limited research exists on how speech impairments affect quality of life (QOL) factors over time in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A review of the literature, including the history, disease course, and prevalence of ALS, is presented. Physical and psychosocial functioning, especially the decline of bulbar functioning’s potential impact on QOL factors and communication style, are outlined. This study is a follow-up study on a study by Duff, who found a significant difference in QOL relative to level of bulbar functioning in a cross-sectional design. The current study used a longitudinal design to look at bulbar functioning, specifically levels …

Polio Eradication And Health Systems In Karachi: Vaccine Refusals In Context, Svea Closser, Rashid Jooma, Emma Varley, Naina Qayyum, Sonia Rodrigues, Akasha Sarwar, Patricia Omidian

Section of Neurosurgery

Community and health worker engagement will be key to polio eradication in Karachi, Pakistan. In this study, the authors conducted participant observation, interviews, and a document review in SITE Town, Karachi, an area that in recent years has harbored poliovirus. SITE’s diverse population includes large numbers of internally displaced persons who are disproportionately affected by polio and are more likely than other populations to refuse the polio vaccine. Vaccine acceptance and worker motivation in SITE Town were shaped by the discrepancy in funding and attention for polio eradication campaigns as compared with routine services. Parental vaccine refusals stemmed from a …

Unforgiving Heat Wave Deaths In The Largest Metropolitan City Of Pakistan: Lessons Learned, Muhammad Akbar Baig, Shahan Waheed, Asad Mian, Erfaan Hussain

Department of Emergency Medicine

Heat stroke is a deadly condition that needs astute care and timely management. Recently, the city of Karachi in Pakistan has been the victim of an intense heat wave, which has resulted in an insurmountable loss of life. We observed various deficiencies in dealing with this national threat that provides us with a valuable lesson regarding the measures that can be undertaken to avoid such a disaster from occurring again.

Compliance To The Consort Statement On Participant Flow Diagrams In Infectious Disease Randomized Clinical Trials, Onyeka P. Godwin, Brandon Dyson, Paul S. Lee, Soon Park, Euni Lee

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: The Consolidated Standard of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Guidelines were developed to support adequate reporting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Method: A systematic review was conducted including RCTs of infectious diseases published in the top general medical and infectious disease journals in 2010. The level of compliance to flow diagram and its association with the CONSORT endorsement by the journals were evaluated.

Results: A total of 67 studies were included in the analysis and a half of the studies were HIV/AIDS RCTs. About 78% of the studies included the flow diagram and 66% of the studies described …

Drug-Induced Cardiotoxicity Of Oncological Agents: Monitoring Parameters, Prevention, And Future Chemotherapy, Sarah Nguyen, Mary Nguyen, Laura Tsu

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The goal of this article is to educate pharmacists of the impact of cardiotoxicity on chemotherapy regimens including key cancer agents, monitoring parameters, prevention, and the future of chemotherapy.

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Substituted Coumarin Derivatives As Inhibitors Of Monoamine Oxidase B, Ian A. Kieffer

Chemistry Theses

Monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) is of clinical importance due to its perceived role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, making inhibitors of MAO B popular candidates for drug design. A series of coumarin derivatives have been prepared and assayed, revealing that the synthesized inhibitors act through a competitive mode of inhibition. In addition, these inhibitors are potent with Ki values in the nanomolar range. Overall, substitution at the 3- position of the coumarin was found to be important to inhibitor potency and further study of 3-aryl coumarin substitution computationally led to the prediction of 3-(3-aminophenyl)-6-hydroxycoumarin as a lead compound …

Sheep Updates 2015 - Moora, Bruce Mullen, Kate Pritchett, Kimbal Curtis, Daniel Real, Jaq Pearson, Lynne Bradshaw, Geoff Lindon, Katherine Davies, Kevin Hepworth, Stephen Lee, Dawson Bradford, Lucy Anderton, Jackie Jarvis, Ben Patrick

Sheep Updates

This session covers thirteen papers from different authors:

1. The Sheep Industry Business Innovation project, Bruce Mullan, Sheep Industry Development Director, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

2. Western Australian sheep stocktake, Kate Pritchett and Kimbal Curtis, Research Officers, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

3. Tedera - a perenial forage legume to reduce your supplementary feeding in summer and autumn, Dr. Daniel Real, Senior Plant Breeder, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

4. National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) for sheep and goats - what is the NLIS database? Jac Pearson, Biosecurity Officer, Department of Agriculture and …

Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus Induces Ho-1 During De Novo Infection Of Endothelial Cells Via Viral Mirna-Dependent And -Independent Mechanisms, Sara Botto, Jennifer Totonchy, Jean K. Gustin, Ashlee V. Moses

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) herpesvirus (KSHV) infection of endothelial cells (EC) is associated with strong induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a stress-inducible host gene that encodes the rate-limiting enzyme responsible for heme catabolism. KS is an angioproliferative tumor characterized by the proliferation of KSHV-infected spindle cells, and HO-1 is highly expressed in such cells. HO-1 converts the pro-oxidant, proinflammatory heme molecule into metabolites with antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and proliferative activities. Previously published work has shown that KSHV-infected EC in vitro proliferate in response to free heme in a HO-1-dependent manner, thus implicating virus-enhanced HO-1 activity in KS tumorigenesis. The present study investigated …

Comparing Must And The Nri Tools In The Identification Of Malnutrition In Heart Failure Patients, Cassondra D. Degener

DNP Projects

The purpose of this project was to test the performance of albumin, NRI and MUST screening tools in comparison to the standardized measure of prealbumin among HF patients admitted to the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center. Inclusion criteria included all HF patients with the 428 diagnostic code, admitted from January 1, - December 31, 2013, ages 18 and older, with all laboratory values available specified in the data collection tool (Appendix A). A retrospective electronic medical record (EMR) review was performed for 100 patients who met the inclusion criteria. All data were collected through the University of Kentucky’s secure …

New County Record Of Black-Spot Disease In Arkansas, C. S. Thigpen, S. E. Trauth, L. I. Bagwell, J. D. Konvalina, S. A. Schratz

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Tracking Energy Balance In Adolescents: Levels Of Compliance, Energy Flux, And Learning, Senlin Chen, Xihe Zhu, Gregory J. Welk, Youngwon Kim

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Background/Objective: Advancing knowledge about energy balance (EB) is important for helping to reverse the obesity epidemic in many modern societies. This study examined adolescents' experience and perception of using an objective self-monitoring tool (SenseWear armband; SWA) and a portable diet journal to track EB for 7 days.

Methods: Forty-five 6th grade students in a midwestern state of the United States [Caucasian: n = 34, 76%; age: 11.7 ± 1.8 years; body mass index (BMI): 20.84 ± 3.94] participated in the study. The SWA, diet journal, and semistructured individual interview were used to measure energy expenditure (EE) and physical activity (PA), …

The Effect Of Optogenetic Manipulation Of Ss Interneurons Within Malformed, Epileptogenic Cortex, Nicole Ekanem

Theses and Dissertations

A large percentage of individuals with intractable epilepsies have an accompanying cortical malformation, the underlying cellular mechanisms of which are poorly understood. It is known however that in an animal model for one such malformation, polymicrogyria, epileptogenesis occurs most easily from an adjacent area termed the paramicrogyral region (PMR). Previous studies implicate SS interneurons as a potential contributor to this pathology, which lead to our hypothesis: in PMR, SS interneurons exert a higher modulatory influence on excitatory pyramidal cells, as compared to the same by SS interneurons within homologous control cortex.

Using a freeze-lesion model for polymicrogyria in transgenic mice …

Axon Initial Segment Stability In Multiple Sclerosis, Suneel K. Thummala

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system characterized by inflammation and demyelination. In addition to these hallmark features, MS also presents with axonal pathology, which is likely responsible for the signs and symptoms of the disease. Although prominent in MS, axonal pathology is frequently considered a consequence of demyelination and not a primary event. This conclusion is consistent with demyelination inducing the loss of specific axonal domains, known as the nodes of Ranvier that are responsible for the propagation of action potentials along the axon. In contrast, we propose that axonal pathology associated with MS …

Characterization Of A Novel Protease In Staphylococcus Aureus, Adam L. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

A newly discovered cysteine protease, Prp, has been shown to perform an essential, site-specific cleavage of ribosomal protein L27 in Staphylococcus aureus. In Firmicutes and related bacteria, ribosomal protein L27 is encoded with a conserved N-terminal extension that must be removed to expose residues critical for ribosome function. Uncleavable and pre-cleaved variants were unable to complement an L27 deletion in S. aureus, indicating that this N-terminal processing event is essential and likely plays an important regulatory role. The gene encoding the responsible protease (prp) has been shown to be essential, and is found in all organisms …

Relaxation Techniques For People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review And A Meta-Analysis, Eleonora Volpato, Paolo Banfi, Sheena M. Rogers, Francesco Pagnini

Dartmouth Scholarship

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) people suffer from severe physical impairments, which often elicit significant psychological distress and impact their quality of life. This meta-analysis aimed to assess evidence from the scientific literature on the effects of relaxation techniques. Methods. We investigated 9 databases to select 25 RCTs. Studies included both inpatients and outpatients with COPD. Both respiratory and psychological outcomes were considered.

Alpha Lipoic Acid: A Potential Therapeutic Option For Painful Peripheral Neuropathies, Jessica Curcio

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a major public health concern.

• There are many etiologies for PN including injury, infection, toxicity, genetics, metabolic disease and nutritional deficiencies.

• Alpha lipoic acid (ALA), also known as thioctic acid, is a potent antioxidant and cofactor in many cellular metabolic processes.

• Oxidative damage plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of both diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

• Because of the antioxidant capability ALA has been studied for its potential benefit in preventing and treating PN

The Da Vinci Robotic Surgical Systems In Atrial Septal Defect Repair, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft And Mitral Valve Repair, Randy Yergenson

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Historically, these cardiac interventions have been performed using partial or complete open sternotomy.
1. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
2. Atrial septal defect (ASD) repair,
3. Mitral valve repair and/or replacement

In 2000, the Federal Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System. Less invasive surgical option.