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The Characteristics Of Appendicoliths Associated With Acute Appendicitis, Mohammad Shoaib Khan, Mustafa Belal Hafeez Chaudhry, Noman Shahzad, Muhammad S. Khan, Maryam Wajid, Wasim Memon, Abdul Rehman Alvi

Section of General Surgery

Introduction: Differences between appendicoliths associated with appendicitis and those found incidentally have not been studied. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of appendicoliths that are associated with acute appendicitis.
Methods: A cross-sectional study of patients with appendicoliths identified on computed tomographic (CT) scan from January 2008 till December 2014 was conducted. Patients were divided into two group: appendicitis and appendicoliths (AA) and incidentally discovered appendicoliths (IA).
Results: Overall, 321 patients were included in the study. Of these, 103 (32%) patients were in the AA group while 218 (68%) patients were in the IA group. Both groups …

Longitudinal Quantification Of Adenovirus Neutralizing Responses In Zambian Mother-Infant Pairs: Impact Of Hiv-1 Infection And Its Treatment, Sara R. Privatt, Brianna L. Bullard, Eric A. Weaver, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Vaccination offers the most cost-effective approach to limiting the adverse impact of infectious and neoplastic diseases that reduce the quality of life in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, it is unclear what vaccine vectors would be most readily implementable in the setting and at what age they should be applied for maximal efficacy. Adenoviruses (Ad) and Ad-based vectors have been demonstrated to induce effective humoral and cellular immune responses in animal models and in humans. However, because immunity associated with Ad infection is lifelong, there exists a debate as to whether pre-existing immunity might decrease the efficacy of Ad vectored vaccines. …

Microbial Colonization Of Pneumatic Tourniquets In The Orthopedic Operating Room, Syed Hamza Mufarrih, Nada Qaisar Qureshi, Rizwan Haroon Rashid, Bilal Ahmed, Seema Irfan, Akbar Jaleel Zubair, Shahryar Noordin

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

Background: The rate of surgical site infections following orthopedic procedures is approximately 2% globally. Potential sources of contamination in the operating room include pneumatic tourniquets, blood pressure cuffs, and stethoscopes, among others. Our study aims to investigate microbial colonization on reusable pneumatic tourniquets stored and used in the orthopedic department of our institution and evaluate the efficacy of the cleaning protocols employed. Methods: Over a course of two weeks, 26 samples were obtained. A total of 14 pneumatic tourniquets were sampled preoperatively on Monday morning following the weekly cleaning protocol of soaking the tourniquets in sodium hypochlorite for 30 minutes …

Evaluating The Therapeutic Efficacy Of Grb2 Inhibition In Ovarian Malignancies, Olivia Lara

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Purpose: Adaptor proteins such as growth factor receptor-bound protein-2 (Grb2) play important roles in cancer cell signaling. In the present study, we examined the biological effects of liposomal antisense oligodeoxynucleotide that blocks Grb2 expression (L-Grb2) in ovarian cancer models.

Experimental Design: Murine orthotopic models of ovarian cancer (OVCAR5 and SKOV3ip1) were used to study the biological effects of L-Grb2 on tumor growth. In vitro experiments (cell viability assay, Western blot analysis, siRNA transfection, and reverse phase protein array) were carried out to elucidate the mechanism and potential predictors of tumor response to L-Grb2.

Results: Treatment with L-Grb2 decreased tumor growth …

Oxidative Phosphorylation: A Critical Feature And Novel Therapeutic Target In Melanoma Brain Metastases, Grant Fischer

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

We recently showed via RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of clinical samples that melanoma brain metastases (MBMs) have higher expression of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) genes (including PPARGC1A or PGC1α) than patient-matched extracranial metastases (ECMs). Thus, the central hypothesis of this dissertation is that OXPHOS plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of MBMs.

RNA-seq analysis identified increased expression of OXPHOS genes in intracranial (ICr) vs. subcutaneous (SQ) xenografts of 4 different human melanoma cell lines. Increased OXPHOS in the ICr xenografts was confirmed by direct metabolite analysis and [U-¹³C]-glucose tracing analysis. Together, these studies indicate that the brain TME …

Tracking Treatment Response And Resistance To Parp Inhibition (Talazoparib) In Hereditary Pancreatic Cancer., Jennifer Goldstein

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

polyADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are a class of drugs that block the PARP enzymes, involved in the repair of singe-stranded DNA breaks through the base excision repair pathway. PARP inhibition leads to replication-associated double stranded DNA breaks, which are repaired by homologous recombination (HR). In tumors with HR defects (i.e. BRCA mutants), there is a shift to error-prone DNA repair and subsequent genomic instability and cell death.

In 2014, Olaparib became the first FDA-approved PARP inhibitor for the treatment of BRCA-mutant ovarian cancer. In the phase III POLO (Pancreas cancer OLaparib Ongoing) trial presented at the American Society …

Fasting Reduces Intestinal Radiotoxicity Enabling Dose-Escalated Radiotherapy For Pancreatic Cancer, Marimar De La Cruz Bonilla

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment for pancreatic cancer, but only 15-20% of patients have resectable tumors. In unresectable cases, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) may be used to give tumor-directed radiotherapy (RT). Unfortunately, this can cause severe gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity due to proximity of the pancreatic head to the duodenum. Protecting the intestine from the toxic side-effects of radiation may enable dose-escalation that could achieve more effective local control of disease. We and others have previously shown that a fast of 24 hours protects mice from lethal doses of the DNA-damaging agent etoposide. In this study, we demonstrate …

Characterizing The Role Of Extracellular Matrix In Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Metastasis Using A 3d Microenvironment Mimetic In-Vitro Culture System., Douglas John Owulaku Saforo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death in the United States and worldwide. Five-year survival rates for non-small cell lung carcinoma patients have not improved in decades, and a majority of patients succumb to metastasis. Identification of therapeutic targets for metastatic disease is essential for the development of novel therapies. However, current 2-dimensional (2D) in vitro models are not reflective of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and are inadequate in identifying therapeutic targets. We adapted a 3-dimensional (3D) extracellular matrix (ECM) in vitro model to a hypoxic incubator to approximate physiological hypoxia of the TME in a microenvironment …

Early Life Child Micronutrient Status, Maternal Reasoning, And A Nurturing Household Environment Have Persistent Influences On Child Cognitive Development At Age 5 Years: Results From Mal-Ed, Benjamin J J. Mccormick, Stephanie A. Richard, Laura E. Caulfield, Laura L. Pendergast, Jessica C. Seidman, Beena Koshy, Reeba Roshan, Rita Shrestha, Erling Svensen, Muneera Rasheed

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Child cognitive development is influenced by early-life insults and protective factors. To what extent these factors have a long-term legacy on child development and hence fulfillment of cognitive potential is unknown.
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relation between early-life factors (birth to 2 y) and cognitive development at 5 y.
Methods: Observational follow-up visits were made of children at 5 y, previously enrolled in the community-based MAL-ED longitudinal cohort. The burden of enteropathogens, prevalence of illness, complementary diet intake, micronutrient status, and household and maternal factors from birth to 2 y were extensively measured …

Severity Of Chest Pain Among Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients With Diagonal Branch Vessel Disease: A Pilot Study, Nasir Rahman, Azmina Artani, Farhala Mari Baloch, Bilal Hussain

Section of Cardiology

Introduction: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients present with variable clinical manifestations such as shortness of breath, nausea, etc. among which chest pain is the most common. Previous studies have reported that the clinical presentation of AMI patients with branch vessel disease is indistinguishable from epicardial coronary vessel disease. However, our experience suggests patients with branch vessel disease experience severe chest pain, especially those with a diagonal branch. Therefore, we aim to study the association of chest pain severity with isolated diagonal branch vessel disease as a culprit vessel in AMI patients.

Methods: It is a retrospective case-control design, where 10 …

Plasticity In The Human Gut Microbiome Defies Evolutionary Constraints, Andres Gomez, Ashok Kumar Sharma, Elizabeth K. Mallott, Klara J. Petrzelkova, Carolyn A. Jost Robinson, Carl J. Yeoman, Franck Carbonero, Barbora Pafco, Jessica M. Rothman, Alexander Ulanov, Klara Vickova, Katherine R. Amato, Stephanie L. Schnorr, Nathaniel J. Dominy, David Modry, Angelique Todd, Manolito Torralba, Karen E. Nelson, Michael B. Burns, Ran Blekhman, Melissa Remis, Rebecca M. Stumpf, Brenda A. Wilson, H. Rex Gaskins, Paul A. Garber, Bryan A. White, Steven R. Leigh

Anthropology Faculty Research

The gut microbiome of primates, including humans, is reported to closely follow host evolutionary history, with gut microbiome composition being specific to the genetic background of its primate host. However, the comparative models used to date have mainly included a limited set of closely related primates. To further understand the forces that shape the primate gut microbiome, with reference to human populations, we expanded the comparative analysis of variation among gut microbiome compositions and their primate hosts, including 9 different primate species and 4 human groups characterized by a diverse set of subsistence patterns (n = 448 samples). The results …

Short Amylin Receptor Antagonist Peptides Improve Memory Deficits In Alzheimer’S Disease Mouse Model, Rania Soudy, Ryoichi Kimura, Aarti Patel, Wen Fu, Kamaljit Kaur, David Westaway, Jing Yang, Jack Jhamandas

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Recent evidence supports involvement of amylin and the amylin receptor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We have previously shown that amylin receptor antagonist, AC253, improves spatial memory in AD mouse models. Herein, we generated and screened a peptide library and identified two short sequence amylin peptides (12–14 aa) that are proteolytically stable, brain penetrant when administered intraperitoneally, neuroprotective against Aβ toxicity and restore diminished levels of hippocampal long term potentiation in AD mice. Systemic administration of the peptides for five weeks in aged 5XFAD mice improved spatial memory, reduced amyloid plaque burden, and neuroinflammation. The common residue SQELHRLQTY …

Study Of Environmental Enteropathy And Malnutrition (Seem) In Pakistan: Protocols For Biopsy Based Biomarker Discovery And Validation, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Sana Saeed, Kamran Sadiq, Marium N. Khan, Junaid Iqbal, Jennie Z. Ma, Fayaz Umrani, Sheraz Ahmed, Elizabeth A. Maier, Lee A. Denson, Shahida Qureshi, Syed Asad Ali

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background:
Environmental Enteropathy (EE), characterized by alterations in intestinal structure, function, and immune activation, is believed to be an important contributor to childhood undernutrition and its associated morbidities, including stunting. Half of all global deaths in children < 5 years are attributable to under-nutrition, making the study of EE an area of critical priority.
Methods:
Community based intervention study, divided into two sub-studies, 1) Longitudinal analyses and 2) Biopsy studies for identification of EE features via omics analyses. Birth cohorts in Matiari, Pakistan established: moderately or severely malnourished (weight for height Z score (WHZ) < − 2) children, and well-nourished (WHZ > 0) children. Blood, urine, and fecal samples, for evaluation of potential biomarkers, will be collected at various time points from all participants (longitudinal …

White Matter Hyperintensity Regression: Comparison Of Brain Atrophy And Cognitive Profiles With Progression And Stable Groups, Omar M. Al-Janabi, Christopher E. Bauer, Larry B. Goldstein, Richard R. Murphy, Ahmed A. Bahrani, Charles D. Smith, Donna M. Wilcock, Brian T. Gold, Gregory A. Jicha

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Subcortical white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in the aging population frequently represent vascular injury that may lead to cognitive impairment. WMH progression is well described, but the factors underlying WMH regression remain poorly understood. A sample of 351 participants from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 2 (ADNI2) was explored who had WMH volumetric quantification, structural brain measures, and cognitive measures (memory and executive function) at baseline and after approximately 2 years. Selected participants were categorized into three groups based on WMH change over time, including those that demonstrated regression (n = 96; 25.5%), stability (n = 72; 19.1%), and …

Mdivi-1, A Mitochondrial Fission Inhibitor, Modulates T Helper Cells And Suppresses The Development Of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis., Yan-Hua Li, Fang Xu, Rodolfo Thome, Min-Fang Guo, Man-Luan Sun, Guo-Bin Song, Rui-Lan Li, Zhi Chai, Bogoljub Ciric, A. M. Rostami, Mark T. Curtis, Cun-Gen Ma, Guang-Xian Zhang

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Unrestrained activation of Th1 and Th17 cells is associated with the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). While inactivation of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), a GTPase that regulates mitochondrial fission, can reduce EAE severity by protecting myelin from demyelination, its effect on immune responses in EAE has not yet been studied.

METHODS: We investigated the effect of Mdivi-1, a small molecule inhibitor of Drp1, on EAE. Clinical scores, inflammation, demyelination and Drp1 activation in the central nervous system (CNS), and T cell responses in both CNS and periphery were determined.

RESULTS: Mdivi-1 effectively …

Cc Chemokine Ccl1 Receptor Ccr8 Mediates Conversion Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells To Embryoid Bodies Expressing Foxp3+Ccr8+ Regulatory T Cells, Nasreen Haque, Tuteja Akaash, Niloufar Haque

Publications and Research

Embryoid bodies (EBs) are three dimensional aggregates of pluripotent stem cells primarily used to investigate morphogenesis and cell toxicity, are also attractive tools in regenerative medicine. While embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent cells (IPSCs) have been shown to form EBs in mouse, primate and humans, EB formation have not been previously demonstrated in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Here we show that rat MSCs form EBs; which express regulatory T cell (Treg) marker Foxp3 and CC chemokine CCL1 receptor CCR8. We show a novel method for formation of EBs from MSCs under stress and demonstrate that the induction of …

Bitter Taste Receptors For Asthma Therapeutics., Ajay P. Nayak, Sushrut D. Shah, James V. Michael, Deepak A. Deshpande

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

Clinical management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has primarily relied on the use of beta 2 adrenergic receptor agonists (bronchodilators) and corticosteroids, and more recently, monoclonal antibody therapies (biologics) targeting specific cytokines and their functions. Although these approaches provide relief from exacerbations, questions remain on their long-term efficacy and safety. Furthermore, current therapeutics do not address progressive airway remodeling (AR), a key pathological feature of severe obstructive lung disease. Strikingly, agonists of the bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) deliver robust bronchodilation, curtail allergen-induced inflammatory responses in the airways and regulate airway smooth muscle (ASM) cell proliferation and mitigate …

Review Of Pediatric Care Online, Terri Gotschall

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This guide to scholarly activities provides early- and mid-career health sciences librarians with a path to immersing in scholarly activities. The four levels walk librarians through increasing stages of scholarship. Early-career librarians will begin at the first level, navigating from discovering mentors and areas of research interest to level two, publishing a resource or book review and finding their first public speaking opportunity. More experienced librarians will find where they are on the path and continue to build their scholarship all the way to conducting and publishing original research and becoming leaders in their field.

Tumor-Released Autophagosomes Induces Cd4, Yong-Qiang Chen, Peng-Cheng Li, Ning Pan, Rong Gao, Zhi-Fa Wen, Tian-Yu Zhang, Fang Huang, Fang-Yuan Wu, Xi-Long Ou, Jin-Ping Zhang, Xue-Jun Zhu, Hong-Ming Hu, Kang Chen, Yun-Lang Cai, Li-Xin Wang

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

BACKGROUND: CD4

METHODS: TRAPs isolated from tumor cell lines and pleural effusions or ascites of cancer patients were incubated with CD4

RESULTS: Heat shock protein 90α (HSP90α) on the surface of TRAPs from malignant effusions of cancer patients and tumor cell lines stimulated CD4

CONCLUSIONS: HSP90α on the surface of TRAPs programs the immunosuppressive functions of CD4

Ccr3 Inhibition For Ocular Angiogenesis And Macular Degeneration, Jayakrishna Ambati

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Patents

Provided are methods and compositions for the treatment or prevention of ocular angiogenesis and neovascularization. Administration of inhibitors of the CCR3 receptor or its ligands eotaxin (CCL11), eotaxin-2 (CCL24) or eotaxin-3 (CCL26) inhibits ocular angiogenesis.

Blockade Of Tgf-Β Signaling To Enhance The Antitumor Response Is Accompanied By Dysregulation Of The Functional Activity Of Cd4, Magdalena J Polanczyk, Edwin Walker, Daniel Haley, Bella S Guerrouahen, Emmanuel T Akporiaye

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

BACKGROUND: The pleiotropic cytokine, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, and CD4

METHODS: Using BALB/c, FoxP3eGFP and Rag

RESULTS: SM16 abrogates TGF-β-induced Treg generation in vitro but does not prevent global homeostatic expansion of CD4

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that blockade of TGF-β signaling is a potentially useful strategy for blunting Treg function to enhance the anti-tumor response. Our data further suggest that the overall dampening of Treg function may involve the expansion of a quiescent Treg precursor population, which is CD4

From Vaccine Vector To Oncomodulation: Understanding The Complex Interplay Between Cmv And Cancer., Nicole A. Wilski, Christopher M. Snyder

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a herpesvirus that establishes a persistent, but generally asymptomatic, infection in most people in the world. However, CMV drives and sustains extremely large numbers of antigen-specific T cells and is, therefore, emerging as an exciting platform for vaccines against infectious diseases and cancer. Indeed, pre-clinical data strongly suggest that CMV-based vaccines can sustain protective CD8+ T cell and antibody responses. In the context of vaccines for infectious diseases, substantial pre-clinical studies have elucidated the effcacy and protective mechanisms of CMV-based vaccines, including in non-human primate models of various infections. In the context of cancer vaccines, however, much …

Myc-Mediated Transcriptional Regulation Of The Mitochondrial Chaperone Trap1 Controls Primary And Metastatic Tumor Growth., Ekta Agarwal, Brian J. Altman, Jae Ho Seo, Jagadish C. Ghosh, Andrew V Kossenkov, Hsin-Yao Tang, Shiv Ram Krishn, Lucia R. Languino, Dmitry I. Gabrilovich, David W. Speicher, Chi V. Dang, Dario C. Altieri

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

The role of mitochondria in cancer continues to be debated, and whether exploitation of mitochondrial functions is a general hallmark of malignancy or a tumor- or context-specific response is still unknown. Using a variety of cancer cell lines and several technical approaches, including siRNA-mediated gene silencing, ChIP assays, global metabolomics and focused metabolite analyses, bioenergetics, and cell viability assays, we show that two oncogenic Myc proteins, c-Myc and N-Myc, transcriptionally control the expression of the mitochondrial chaperone TNFR-associated protein- 1 (TRAP1) in cancer. In turn, this Myc-mediated regulation preserved the folding and function of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complex II …

Antibiotic Resistance And Molecular Characterization Of Bacteremia Escherichia Coli Isolates From Newborns In The United States., Bryan K. Cole, Marko Ilikj, Cindy B. Mccloskey, Susana Chavez-Bueno

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Escherichia coli is a major cause of neonatal sepsis. Contemporary antibiotic resistance data and molecular characterization of neonatal E. coli bacteremia isolates in the US are limited.

METHODS: E. coli blood isolates, antibiotic susceptibility data, and clinical characteristics were obtained from prospectively identified newborns from 2006 to 2016. The E. coli isolates were classified using an updated phylogrouping method and multi-locus sequence typing. The presence of several virulence traits was also determined.

RESULTS: Forty-three newborns with E. coli bacteremia were identified. Mean gestational age was 32.3 (SD±5.4) weeks. Median age was 7 days (interquartile range 0-10). Mortality (28%) occurred …

Key Inflammatory Pathway Activations In The Mci Stage Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Jagan A. Pillai, Sean Maxwell, Lynn M. Bekris, Stephen M. Rao, Mark R. Chance, James B. Leverenz

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: To determine the key inflammatory pathways that are activated in the peripheral and CNS compartments at the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: A cross-sectional study of patients with clinical and biomarker characteristics consistent with MCI-AD in a discovery cohort, with replication in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort. Inflammatory analytes were measured in the CSF and plasma with the same validated multiplex analyte platform in both cohorts and correlated with AD biomarkers (CSF Aβ42, total tau (t-tau), phosphorylated tau (p-tau) to identify key inflammatory pathway activations. The pathways were additionally validated by evaluating …

Supporting Persons With Dementia In Communicating Their Care Preferences, Vanessa L. Burshnic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Person-centered care is important to the quality of life of nursing home residents with dementia. Preference assessments enable person-centered care by documenting residents’ preferred activities. Residents with severe dementia are less likely to have a role in preference assessment due to communication challenges associated with the disease. External supports (visual and text cues) are effective in improving the communication of residents with dementia, but these cues are often not used in practice. Standard assessment (verbal questioning) places greater demands on short-term memory and attention, which are known deficits in dementia.

Applying a within-subjects design, this study evaluated two conditions (standard …

Plasticizer Interaction With The Heart: Chemicals Used In Plastic Medical Devices Can Interfere With Cardiac Electrophysiology., Rafael Jaimes, Damon Mccullough, Bryan Siegel, Luther Swift, Daniel Mcinerney, James Hiebert, Erick A Perez-Alday, Beatriz Trenor, Jiansong Sheng, Javier Saiz, Larisa G Tereshchenko, Nikki Gillum Posnack

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Phthalates are used as plasticizers in the manufacturing of flexible, plastic medical products. Patients can be subjected to high phthalate exposure through contact with plastic medical devices. We aimed to investigate the cardiac safety and biocompatibility of mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), a phthalate with documented exposure in intensive care patients.

METHODS: Optical mapping of transmembrane voltage and pacing studies were performed on isolated, Langendorff-perfused rat hearts to assess cardiac electrophysiology after MEHP exposure compared with controls. MEHP dose was chosen based on reported blood concentrations after an exchange transfusion procedure.

RESULTS: Thirty-minute exposure to MEHP increased the atrioventricular node (147 …

Can Alternate-Day Statin Regimen Minimize Its Adverse Effects On Muscle And Tendon?: A Systematic Review, Zehra Abdul Muhammad, Tashfeen Ahmad, Naveed Baloch

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

Objective: To review evidence-based data with respect to safety and efficacy of alternate-day statin therapy in dyslipidaemia compared to the standard daily dose.
Methods: The literature review was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from July, 2016 to August, 2017. Electronic database search was carried out to compile available literature using PubMed, Excerpta Medica database and Google Scholar. The most relevant evidence-based research articles published over 10 years were selected. The latest search was dated August 03, 2017.
Results: A total of 2,074 articles were initially located. Alternate day statin regimen was reported in 53% of articles. Adverse effects …

Recognition Of Antibiotic Resistance In Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis Caused By Escherichia Coli In Liver Cirrhotic Patients In Civil Hospital Karachi, Pooja D. Kirplani, Laila Tul Qadar, Rohan Kumar Ochani, Zahid Ali Memon, Syeda Anjala Tahir, Khalid Imran, Naresh Kumar Seetlani, Amanullah Abbasi, Mahaish Kumar, Piyar Ali

Section of Internal Medicine

Introduction Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is the most common life-threatening infection in patients with ascites due to liver cirrhosis. The infection is most commonly caused by the bacterium Escherichia coli, commonly referred to as E. coli. Over the past few years, the incidence of antimicrobial resistance against E. coli has risen drastically, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the pattern of resistance using variations of antibiotics against E. coli, to prevent its empirical usage and initiate an appropriate target antibiotic therapy. The data were collected from May 2017 to October 2017 and …

Survivin Is A Prognostic Marker And Therapeutic Target For Extranodal, Nasal-Type Natural Killer/T Cell Lymphoma., Li Zhang, Yi Wei, Xiaowei Yan, Na Li, Haolan Song, Li Yang, Yang Wu, Yu-Feng Xi, Hua-Wei Weng, Jian-Hua Li, Edward H Lin, Li-Qun Zou

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: The relationship between survivin and extranodal, nasal-type natural killer/T cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) was unclearly established yet. We here studied the potential prognostic roles of survivin and its implication as a target in ENKTCL therapy.

Methods: ENKTCL patients' peripheral blood were collected and tested by ELISA. ENKTCL cell lines were cultured with or without survivin inhibitor and tested by MTT and Flow cytometry. According to the gene expression profiles from the ArrayExpress Archive under E-TABM-702, survivin co-regulated cluster was established by Coupled Two-way Clustering Algorithm.

Results: Seventeen point six percent of total 17 ENKTCL patients were serum survivin-positive. These patients …