Digital Commons Network^™

The Mucosal Expression Pattern Of Interferon-Ε In Rhesus Macaques, Andrew Demers, Guobin Kang, Fangrui Ma, Wuxun Lu, Zhe Yuan, Yue Li, Mark Lewis, Edmundo N. Kraiselburd, Luis Montaner, Qingsheng Li

Qingsheng Li Publications

Type I IFNs play an important role in innate and adaptive immunity against viral infections. A novel type I IFN, namely IFN-ε, which can protect against vaginal transmission of HSV2 and Chlamydia muridarum bacterial infection, has been described in mice and humans. Nevertheless, the principle cell type and the expression pattern of IFN-ε in tissues remain uncertain. In addition, the expression of IFN-ε in Indian rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) has not been reported. Here, we analyzed IFN-ε expression in multiple mucosal sites of uninfected or SIV-infected Indian rhesus macaques using IHCS. We report for the first time the …

Role Of Macrophages In Adaptive Resistance To Anti-Vegf Therapy, Heather Dalton

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: The clinical implementation of therapies targeting the VEGF pathway in cancer has been limited by acquired resistance; yet, the mechanisms by which this occurs is unclear. We investigated the role of macrophages in the development of acquired resistance to anti-VEGF antibody (AVA) therapy.

Materials and Methods: We first established a murine ovarian cancer model of resistance to anti-VEGF therapy. Using this model we investigated changes in macrophage infiltration during AVA sensitive and resistant phases. We also investigated the in vivo effects of macrophage depletion at the emergence of anti-VEGF resistance and in upfront combination with AVA therapy. In vitro …

Notch Signaling Inhibited By Ikaros1 In Human T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Camille W. Graham

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The highly conserved Notch signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, survival and apoptosis. In hematopoiesis, Notch signaling drives commitment to the T-cell fate and promotes differentiation, T-cell receptor signaling and immune function. In T-cells, Notch signaling is oncogenic when constitutively active, promoting proliferation and survival while inhibiting differentiation. The majority of patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (TALL) have activating Notch mutations. Similarly, Notch activation is present in more than 75% of murine T-ALL models. In murine T-ALL, loss of Ikaros, a zinc finger transcriptional regulator, leads to disrupted differentiation and also cooperates with activated Notch signaling to promote T-ALL. …

Genetic Predictors Of Metabolic Side Effects Of Diuretic Therapy, Jorge L. Del Aguila

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Thiazide diuretics are a recommended first-line monotherapy for hypertension (i.e.SBP>140 mmHg or DBP>90 mmHg). Even so, diuretics are associated with adverse metabolic side effects, such as hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and hypokalemia which increase the risk of developing type II diabetes. This thesis used three analytical strategies to identify and quantify genetic factors that contribute to the development of adverse metabolic effects due to thiazide diuretic treatment. I performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and meta-analysis of the change in fasting plasma glucose and triglycerides in response to HCTZ from two different clinical trials: the Pharmacogenomic Evaluation of Antihypertensive Responses …

Targeting The Redox System To Overcome Mechanisms Of Drug Resistance In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Marcia A. Ogasawara

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is the most common form of leukemia diagnosed in Western countries and is characterized by clonal expansion of B cells. The clinical course of CLL is diverse and nearly 50% of patients present with chromosomal abnormalities. Deletion of the short arm on chromosome 17 (del17p) occurs in 5-7% of cases and presents with the shortest median survival time and often respond poorly to therapy. The tumor suppressor gene, TP53 is located on this region and it is well established that the p53 protein regulates multiple functions including: mitochondria biogenesis, response to DNA damage and redox balance. …

Mechanisms Of Astrocyte Contribution To Bortezomib-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, Caleb R. Robinson

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Bortezomib is a proteasome inhibitor used in the treatment of multiple myeloma and other non-solid malignancies, alone or in combination with other chemotherapy drugs. Like other chemotherapeutic agents, bortezomib treatment is frequently accompanied by chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) that may be dose-limiting, adversely affecting quality of life and prognosis. The mechanisms behind bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy (BIPN) and CIPN overall are largely unknown. Recent findings in other pain models have indicated substantial involvement of glial cells in chronic pain. Although injury models have shown activation of both astrocytes and microglia following insult, research in other CIPN models has shown astrocytic activation …

Nerve Fiber Diameter Measurements Using Hematoxylin And Eosin Staining And Brightfield Microscopy To Assess The Novel Method Of Characterizing Peripheral Nerve Fiber Distributions By Group Delay, Jorge Arturo Vazquez

Master's Theses

Peripheral neuropathies are a set of common diseases that affect the peripheral nervous system, causing damage to vital connections between various parts of the body and the brain and spinal cord. Different clinical conditions are known to selectively impact various size nerve fibers, which often makes it difficult to diagnose which peripheral neuropathy a patient might have. The nerve conduction velocity diagnostic test provides clinically useful information in the diagnosis of some peripheral neuropathies. This method is advantageous because it tends to be minimally invasive yet it provides valuable diagnostic information. However, this test does not determine characteristics of peripheral …

Analysis Of High Fat Diet Induced Genes During Mammary Gland Development: Identifying Role Players In Poor Prognosis Of Breast Cancer, Raquel C. Martinez-Chacin, Megan Keniry, Robert Dearth

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Background

Epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) increases the risk of developing breast cancer (BC). Studies in rodents have shown HFD causes changes in the genetic programming of the maturing mammary gland (MG) increasing the susceptibility of developing the disease. Less is known about how HFD induced genes impact BC development. HFD exposure two weeks before conception to six weeks of age was previously shown to dramatically change MG gene expression in 10 week old mice. Therefore, we investigated these differentially expressed HFD-induced genes for their expression in BC using the NKI 295 breast tumor …

Hypertensive Crisis, Burden, Management, And Outcome At A Tertiary Care Center In Karachi, Aysha Almas, Ayaz Ghouse, Ahmed Raza Iftikhar, Munawar Khursheed

Department of Medicine

Objectives:. Hypertension, if uncontrolled, can lead to hypertensive crisis. We aim to determine the prevalence of hypertensive crisis, its management, and outcome in patients presenting to a tertiary care center in Karachi.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Adult inpatients (>18 yrs) presenting to the ER who were known hypertensive and had uncontrolled hypertension were included.
Results. Out of 1336 patients, 28.6% (387) had uncontrolled hypertension. The prevalence of hypertensive crisis among uncontrolled hypertensive was 56.3% (218). Per oral calcium channel blocker; 35.4% (137) and intravenous nitrate; 22.7% (88) …

Frequency Of Cardiorenal Syndrome Type-I In Hospitalized Children With Acute Heart Failure In A Tertiary-Care Hospital, Mehjabeen Zaidi, Arshalooz Jamila Rehman, Anwarul Haque, Saleem Akhtar, Prem Kumar Maheshwar

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objective: To determine the frequency of cardiorenal syndrome in hospitalized children with acute heart failure.

Study Design: Descriptive study.

Place and Duration of Study: Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from December 2010 to December 2011.

Methodology: Sixty eight (68) children with acute heart failure fulfilling the selection criteria were evaluated for worsening of renal function (WRF). Serum creatinine was done at baseline and repeated at 72 hours to see the worsening of renal function. Estimated serum creatinine clearance was calculated by Schwartz formula.

Results: Mean age of patients was 43.6 ± 55.2 months. There were …

Use Of Oversized Injectable Valves In Growing Children For Total Repair Of Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Anomalies (Preliminary Results), Luca Deorsola, Pietro Angelo Abbruzzese

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Right ventricular outflow tract surgery was originally confined to transannular patching, in the belief that pulmonary regurgitation was well tolerated. Because follow-up evaluations revealed the deleterious effects of pulmonary regurgitation, surgery today aims to spare or replace the valve. Available replacement devices have short lifetimes, considering growth mismatch in children. We hypothesize that oversizing the right infundibulum anticipates growth and that a squeezed prosthesis can complete the expansion process.

The No-React® Injectable BioPulmonic Valve is designed for right infundibular surgery in adults, and hundreds of implants have shown promising results. We used this device for surgery in babies, with the …

Nontyphoidal Cardiac Salmonellosis: Two Case Reports And A Review Of The Literature, Daniel Ortiz, Eric M Siegal, Christopher Kramer, Bijoy K Khandheria, Ernesto Brauer

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Nontyphoidal Salmonella, especially Salmonella enterica, is a rare cause of endocarditis and pericarditis that carries a high mortality rate. Proposed predisposing conditions include immunodeficiency states, congenital heart defects, and cardiac valve diseases. We present 2 cases of cardiovascular salmonellosis. The first case is that of a 73-year-old woman with mechanical mitral and bioprosthetic aortic valves who died from sequelae of nontyphoidal Salmonella mitral valve vegetation, aortic valve abscess, and sepsis. The second case is that of a 62-year-old man with a recent systemic lupus erythematosus exacerbation treated with oral steroids, who presented with obstructive features of tamponade and sepsis secondary …

Empiric Deworming And Cd4 Count Recovery In Hiv-Infected Ugandans Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy, Alexander J. Lankowski, Alexander C. Tsai, Michael Kanyesigye, Mwebesa B. Bwana, Jessica E. Haberer, Megan Wenger, Jeffrey N. Martin, David Bangsberg, Peter W. Hunt, Mark J. Siedner

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: There is conflicting evidence on the immunologic benefit of treating helminth co-infections (‘‘deworming’’) in HIV-infected individuals. Several studies have documented reduced viral load and increased CD4 count in antiretroviral therapy (ART) naive individuals after deworming. However, there are a lack of data on the effect of deworming therapy on CD4 count recovery among HIV-infected persons taking ART.

Methodology/Principal Findings: To estimate the association between empiric deworming therapy and CD4 count after ART initiation, we performed a retrospective observational study among HIV-infected adults on ART at a publicly operated HIV clinic in southwestern Uganda. Subjects were assigned as having received …

The In-Hospital Consultation Today: Whom Does It Best Serve?, Herbert L Fred

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Abdominal Fat Suspension Device For Maintaining Normal Cardiorespiratory Function In Patients Undergoing Conscious Sedation During Surgery: A Feasibility Study, Norman F Truong, Joanna C Nathan, Daeun Yoon, Gabriel Ochoa, Marisa Prevost, Sehyun Yun, Z Maria Oden, Mehdi Razavi

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Obese patients undergoing conscious-sedation surgery have increased perioperative morbidity because their excess abdominal tissue limits diaphragmatic excursion. We describe a simple device that might help attenuate this risk. We created a noninvasive suction device for abdominal suspension. By lifting the burden of excess weight, this device should decrease respiratory effort. To test the feasibility of excess weight removal in relieving cardiac stress, we tested 22 supine, healthy, normal-weight subjects by measuring their heart rates with and without a 13-kg tissue model on their abdomen to simulate excess weight. There was no significant difference in blood oxygen saturation before and after …

South Africans With Recent Pregnancy Rarely Know Partner’S Hiv Serostatus: Implications For Serodiscordant Couples Interventions, Lynn T. Matthews, Lizzie Moore, Tamaryn L. Crankshaw, Cecilia Milford, Fortunate N. Mosery, Ross Greener, Christina Psaros, Steven A, Safren, David Bangsberg, Jennifer A. Smit

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Implementation of safer conception strategies requires knowledge of partner HIV-serostatus. We recruited women and men in a high HIV-prevalence setting for a study to assess periconception risk behavior among individuals reporting HIV-serodiscordant partnerships. We report screening data from that study with the objective of estimating the proportion of individuals who are aware that they are in an HIV-serodiscordant relationship at the time of conception.

Methods: We screened women and men attending antenatal and antiretroviral clinics in Durban, South Africa for enrollment in a study of periconception risk behavior among individuals with serodiscordant partners. Screening questionnaires assessed for study eligibility …

Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction Caused By Double-Chambered Right Ventricle Presenting In Adulthood, John Kokotsakis, Efthymia G Rouska, Leanne Harling, Hutan Ashrafian, Vania Anagnostakou, Christos Charitos, Thanos Athanasiou

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Congenital heart diseases that cause obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract are often difficult to diagnose. We report the case of a 49-year-old man who presented with long-standing shortness of breath on exertion. Imaging revealed right ventricular outflow tract obstruction caused by a double-chambered right ventricle, and he was referred for surgical correction. This case emphasizes both the detailed perioperative evaluation that is needed when diagnosing adults who present with manifestations of congenital heart disease and a method of successful surgical correction that resulted in symptom resolution.

Incidence And Predictors Of Permanent Pacemaker Implantation After Valve Surgery – A Single Center Experience, Justin L. Guthier Do, Bilal Ayub Md, Yassir Nawaz Md, Hassam Saif Md, Robert F. Malacoff Md, Facc, Michael J. Weiss Mph, Theodore G. Phillips Md, James K. Wu Md, Raymond L. Singer Md, Sanjay M. Mehta Md, Gary W. Szydlowski Md, Ronald S. Freudenberger Md

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Low Zinc Levels Is Associated With Increased Inflammatory Activity But Not With Atherosclerosis, Arteriosclerosis Or Endothelial Dysfunction Among The Very Elderly, Ehimen Aneni, Khurram Nasir

All Publications

BACKGROUND:

Reduced zinc intake has been related to atherogenesis and arteriosclerosis. We verified this assumption in very old individuals, which are particularly prone to both zinc deficiency and structural and functional changes in the arterial wall.

METHODS:

Subjects (n = 201, 80-102 years) with uneventful cardiovascular history and who were not in use of anti-inflammatory treatments in the last 30-days were enrolled. Daily intake of zinc, lipid profile, plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), plasma zinc, flow-mediated dilation (FMD), carotid ultrasonography and cardiac computed tomography were obtained. Young's Elastic Modulus, Stiffness Index and Artery Compliance were calculated.

RESULTS:

There was no significant …

Global Burden Of Disease Study 2010: Interpretation And Implications For The Neglected Tropical Diseases, Peter J. Hotez, Miriam Alvarado, Maria Gloria Basanez, Ian Bolliger, Et Al.

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Can We Afford The Costs Of Orphan Disease Treatments?, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Heart Rate Variability Measurement And Clinical Depression In Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: Narrative Review Of Recent Literature, Patricia R.E. Harris, Claire E. Sommargren, Phyllis K. Stein, Gordon L. Fung, Barbara J. Drew

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Aim: We aimed to explore links between heart rate variability (HRV) and clinical depression in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), through a review of recent clinical research literature.

Background: Patients with ACS are at risk for both cardiac autonomic dysfunction and clinical depression. Both conditions can negatively impact the ability to recover from an acute physiological insult, such as unstable angina or myocardial infarction, increasing the risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. HRV is recognized as a reflection of autonomic function.

Methods: A narrative review was undertaken to evaluate state-of-the-art clinical research, using the PubMed database, January 2013. The search …

Infectious Diseases, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Provides information about the role of infectious diseases in the early years of U.S. History, with particular emphasis on how they impacted injuries sustained in military conflict.

Quantitative Ultrasound: Measurement Considerations For The Assessment Of Muscular Dystrophy And Sarcopenia, Michael O. Harris-Love, Reza Monfaredi, Catheeja Ismail, Marc R. Blackman, Kevin Cleary

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

Diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound has potential clinical utility in characterizing pathological muscle tissue. Sonography has been long proposed as method of assessing muscle damage due to neuromuscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy, and more recently, changes in body and tissue composition associated with muscle wasting disorders such as sarcopenia. The use of quantitative ultrasound as an adjunct diagnostic procedure has different technical challenges than the traditional use of ultrasound in clinical medicine. Operator-dependent technique and variation are critical considerations when obtaining measures of echointensity (i.e., tissue composition estimates) and tissue dimensions (i.e., muscle thickness) – key elements of the ultrasound assessment …

Study Of Intuitive Eating Ratings And Self-Efficacy Differences In Women With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (Pcos), Meaghan Ormsby Schillinger

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder, which if left untreated can lead to infertility and diabetes.

Objective: To determine whether women with PCOS who practice intuitive eating skills are more confident in sustaining healthy lifestyle changes.

Methods: A web-based survey was completed by 120 women with PCOS. Bivariate associations between the self-efficacy and intuitive eating scales was investigated using scatterplots, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and a simple linear regression model. Ratings on the intuitive eating scale were dichotomized as high or low and self-efficacy ratings were compared.

Results: Of the 120 responses, 89% of …

A Comparison Of Five Malaria Transmission Models: Benchmark Tests And Implications For Disease Control, Dorothy I. Wallace, Ben S. Southworth, Xun Shi, Jonathan W. Chipman, Andrew K. Githeko

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Models for malaria transmission are usually compared based on the quantities tracked, the form taken by each term in the equations, and the qualitative properties of the systems at equilibrium. Here five models are compared in detail in order to develop a set of performance measures that further illuminate the differences among models.

Methods: Five models of malaria transmission are compared. Parameters are adjusted to correspond to similar biological quantities across models. Nine choices of parameter sets/initial conditions are tested for all five models. The relationship between malaria incidence in humans and (1) malaria incidence in vectors, (2) man-biting …

To Vaccinate Or Not Vaccinate, Brian Knoske, Samantha Morrison, Rodney Richmond

Faculty Research ​and Publications

No abstract provided.

Will Hiv Vaccination Reshape Hiv Risk Behavior Networks? A Social Network Analysis Of Drug Users' Anticipated Risk Compensation, April M. Young, Daniel S. Halgin, Ralph J. Diclemente, Claire E. Sterk, Jennifer R. Havens

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

An HIV vaccine could substantially impact the epidemic. However, risk compensation (RC), or post-vaccination increase in risk behavior, could present a major challenge. The methodology used in previous studies of risk compensation has been almost exclusively individual-level in focus, and has not explored how increased risk behavior could affect the connectivity of risk networks. This study examined the impact of anticipated HIV vaccine-related RC on the structure of high-risk drug users' sexual and injection risk network.

Methods

A sample of 433 rural drug users in the US provided data on their risk relationships (i.e., those involving recent unprotected sex …

Frequency Of Retinopathy Of Prematurity In Premature Neonates With A Birth Weight Below 1500 Grams And A Gestational Age Less Than 32 Weeks: A Study From A Tertiary Care Hospital In A Lower-Middle Income Country, Arjumand Sohaila, Shiyam Sunder Tikmani, Iqtidar Ahmed Khan, Huba Atiq, Ali Syed Muhammad Akhtar, Prem Kumar, Kishwer Kumar

Department of Emergency Medicine

Introduction: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a treatable cause of blindness in neonates. In Pakistan, ROP is often not recognized early because screening and treatment programs are not yet in place in most neonatal units, even in tertiary care hospitals. It is hoped that this report will help inform medical professionals of the magnitude of the problem and help to design appropriate management strategies.

Objectives: The aim was to determine the frequency of ROP in premature and very low birth weight (BW) neonates (BW(GA)weeks).

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Study Setting : Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary care …

Concepts Of Cancer And A Novel Cancer Therapy: Treating Tumors As An Aggressive Organ, Stephen J. Beebe

Bioelectrics Publications

No abstract provided.