Digital Commons Network^™

Accuracy Of Height Estimation Among Bystanders, Sara Carey, Michaeleena Carr, Komaira Ferdous, Gina Marie Moffa, Jennifer Axelband, Shaila Quazi

Jefferson Health - Northeast Papers (formerly Aria Health Papers)

Introduction: High-risk mechanisms in trauma usually dictate certain treatment and evaluation in protocolized care. A 10-15 feet (ft) fall is traditionally cited as an example of a high-risk mechanism, triggering trauma team activations and costly work-ups. The height and other details of mechanism are usually reported by lay bystanders or prehospital personnel. This small observational study was designed to evaluate how accurate or inaccurate height estimation may be among typical bystanders. Methods: This was a blinded, prospective study conducted on the grounds of a community hospital. Four panels with lines corresponding to varying heights from 1-25 ft were hung within …

Listeria Monocytogenes As A Vector For Cancer Immunotherapy: Current Understanding And Progress, John C. Flickinger, Ulrich Rodeck, Adam E. Snook

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

Listeria monocytogenes, a Gram-positive facultative anaerobic bacterium, is becoming a popular vector for cancer immunotherapy. Indeed, multiple vaccines have been developed utilizing modified Listeria as a tool for generating immune responses against a variety of cancers. Moreover, over a dozen clinical trials testing Listeria cancer vaccines are currently underway, which will help to understand the utility of Listeria vaccines in cancer immunotherapy. This review aims to summarize current views on how Listeria-based vaccines induce potent antitumor immunity and the current state of Listeria-based cancer vaccines in clinical trials. © 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Procarbazine, Ccnu And Vincristine (Pcv) Versus Temozolomide Chemotherapy For Patients With Low-Grade Glioma: A Systematic Review., Karim Hafazalla, Arjun Sahgal, Blessing Jaja, James R Perry, Sunit Das

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Low-grade gliomas (LGG) encompass a heterogeneous group of tumors that are clinically, histologically and molecularly diverse. Treatment decisions for patients with LGG are directed toward improving upon the natural history while limiting treatment-associated toxiceffects. Recent evidence has documented a utility for adjuvant chemotherapy with procarbazine, CCNU (lomustine), and vincristine (PCV) or temozolomide (TMZ). We sought to determine the comparative utility of PCV and TMZ for patients with LGG, particularly in context of molecular subtype. A literature search of PubMed was conducted to identify studies reporting patient response to PCV, TMZ, or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT). Eligibility …

Evaluation Of The Sharkcore, Benjamin L. Witt, Rachel E. Factor, Barbara E. Chadwick, Justin Caron, Ali A. Siddiqui, Douglas G. Adler

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

Background and Objectives:

EUS guided core biopsy was once rarely performed but is now entering mainstream practice. Neuroendocrine tumors often warrant core biopsy as sufficient tissue must be obtained to allow for special staining to ensure a correct diagnosis. Traditionally these lesions were sampled with FNA needles. We performed a retrospective pilot study to evaluate the clinical value and efficacy of the a new EUS core needle biopsy needle as compared to a standard EUS FNA needle in the evaluation of patients with known or suspected neuroendocrine tumors.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of the first 10 patients (between January 2015 …

Developmental Intervention Patterns In A Level Iv Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nicu), Grace Winningham, Cy Nadler, Sarah Nyp, Eugenia K. Pallotto, Ashley Sherman

Posters

Background: There are no evidence-based standards for if/when developmental interventions should be initiated while an infant is in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), or these services yield incremental benefit. To support future prospective studies evaluating the neurodevelopmental benefits of NICU-based services as well as standardizing protocols for developmental interventions in the NICU, a thorough descriptive investigation of current developmental intervention practices is necessary. Objective: To describe trends in the delivery of developmental interventions [physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), speech-language therapy (ST), child life (CL), and music therapy (MT)] in high-risk infants in a large level-IV NICU. Methods: Electronic …

Outcomes Of Shoulder Arthroplasty Performed For Postinfectious Arthritis., Eric M. Padegimas, Thema A. Nicholson, Stephen Silva, Matthew L. Ramsey, Gerald R. Williams, Mark D. Lazarus, Surena Namdari

Rothman Institute Papers

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional outcomes, infection rate, and complications associated with shoulder arthroplasty for sequelae of prior septic arthritis.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 17 patients who underwent shoulder arthroplasty for sequelae of septic arthritis. Patients were analyzed for patient-reported outcomes, complications, and reoperations.

Results: The 17 patients in this cohort were an average age of 65.4 ± 12.2 years old, were 58.8% male, and had an average body mass index of 27.9 ± 4.1 kg/m

Conclusions: Shoulder arthroplasty after septic arthritis had inconsistent functional outcomes and high complication rates …

Rapid Development Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Eradication Of Hepatitis C Virus With Directly Acting Antiviral Treatment, Fakhar Ali Qazi Arisar, Saeed Hamid

Section of Gastroenterology

Hepatitis C is a major risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), arising typically on a background of liver cirrhosis. Treatment of hepatitis C has been revolutionized by the addition of oral direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) with sustained virological response (SVR) rates above 90%. There is a recent concern under debate about the increased risk of early HCC recurrence in patients with chronic hepatitis C who were treated with direct-acting antivirals. Nonetheless, these reports mostly focused on patients who were cirrhotic and were already treated for HCC. We report 4 cases of treatment naive, chronic hepatitis C patients who …

Plasma Soluble Human Elastin Fragments As An Intra-Aneurysmal Localized Biomarker For Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysm, Daichi Nakagawa, Mario Zanaty, Joseph Hudson, Nahom Teferi, Daizo Ishii, Lauren Allan, Pascal Jabbour, Santiago Ortega-Gutierrez, Edgar A. Samaniego, David M. Hasan

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Background—Fragmentation of the tunica media is a hallmark of intracranial aneurysm formation, often leading to aneurysmal progression and subsequent rupture. The objective of this study is to determine the plasma level of elastin fragments in the lumen of ruptured versus unruptured human intracranial aneurysms. Methods and Results—One hundred consecutive patients with/without ruptured saccular intracranial aneurysms undergoing endovascular coiling or stent-assisted coiling were recruited. Blood samples were collected from the lumen of intracranial aneurysm using a microcatheter. The tip of the microcatheter was placed inside the aneurysm’s sac in close proximity to the inner wall of the dome. Plasma levels of …

Early Investigations And Recent Advances In Intraperitoneal Immunotherapy For Peritoneal Metastasis., Anusha Thadi, Marian Khalili, William F. Morano, Scott D. Richard, Steven C. Katz, Wilbur B. Bowne

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Peritoneal metastasis (PM) is an advanced stage malignancy largely refractory to modern therapy. Intraperitoneal (IP) immunotherapy offers a novel approach for the control of regional disease of the peritoneal cavity by breaking immune tolerance. These strategies include heightening T-cell response and vaccine induction of anti-cancer memory against tumor-associated antigens. Early investigations with chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells), vaccine-based therapies, dendritic cells (DCs) in combination with pro-inflammatory cytokines and natural killer cells (NKs), adoptive cell transfer, and immune checkpoint inhibitors represent significant advances in the treatment of PM. IP delivery of CAR-T cells has shown demonstrable suppression of tumors …

Does A Step Back Approach To The Implementation Of Project Spraoi Affect The Health And Fundamental Movement Skill Proficiency Of Irish Children?, Conor Hemmersley

Masters

Title: Does a step back approach to the implementation of Project Spraoi affect the health and fundamental movement skill proficiency of Irish children? Background: Project Spraoi is an intervention which attempts to positively influence the overall health of Irish primary school children. Previous iterations of Project Spraoi have been labour intensive with an Energiser working with a maximum of two schools to deliver the intervention. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on fundamental movement skills (FMS), and markers of health of Irish primary school children using a step back approach. The step back …

A Narrative Review On Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound In Aortic Endograft Endoleak Surveillance., Sriharsha Gummadi, John R. Eisenbrey, Andrej Lyshchik

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms have been performed successfully since 1991. However, 20% to 50% of these patients may develop an endoleak or continued aneurysmal sac expansion or perfusion despite stent graft coverage. Current recommendations suggest lifelong surveillance with computed tomographic angiography (CTA) at least 1 month after intervention and yearly after that. In select patients with a stable aneurysm sac on computed tomography performed 1 year after treatment, future screening could be performed with ultrasonography. However, color Doppler ultrasound can fail to detect as many as 31% of endoleaks. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) provides an alternative approach to excluded …

Pretty Peachy., Li-Anne Lim, Basil K. Williams, Carol L. Shields

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

No abstract provided.

Ferritin Level Prospectively Predicts Hepatocarcinogenesis In Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection, Zhenyuan Bian, Hie-Won Hann, Zhong Ye, Chun Yin, Yang Wang, Wan Fang, Shaogui Wan, Chun Wang, Kaishan Tao

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Previous studies have detected a higher level of ferritin in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but a potential causal association between serum ferritin level and hepatocarcinogenesis remains to be clarified. Using a well-established prospective cohort and longitudinally collected serial blood samples, the association between baseline ferritin levels and HCC risk were evaluated in 1,152 patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), a major risk factor for HCC. The association was assessed by Cox proportional hazards regression model using univariate and multivariate analyses and longitudinal analysis. It was demonstrated that HBV patients who developed HCC had a significantly higher baseline ferritin …

Mechanisms Adopted By Dengue-2 Viruses To Induce Autophagy In Mammalian Cells, Sounak Ghosh Roy

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Dengue, the most rapidly spreading flavivirus, threatens to affect almost half of the human global population. We previously showed that dengue-2 protects canine kidney cells (MDCK) from cytotoxic chemicals. We showed, independently, that cell protection, as well as viral replication and maturation, are positively regulated by PI3K-dependent autophagy. However, we had not identified the specific pathway that induces autophagy in infected cells. The current study explores the role of a specific branch of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4 pathway in the induction of autophagy by …

Linking Hostile/Helpless Maternal Representations In Pregnancy And Later Child Protection Involvement: A Pilot Study, Madeleine Terry

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The present pilot study examined whether there are reliable indices in the narratives of pregnant women that can be used to identify child abuse and neglect potential before the birth of the child. The Hostile/Helpless (HH) Classification system (Lyons-Ruth et al., 1995-2005), which detects mental states associated with trauma, disturbances in early attachment, and severe pathology, was adapted for use with the Pregnancy Interview (PI), a semi-structured clinical interview (Slade, 2003) that assesses a woman's emotional experience of pregnancy, and quality of her developing relationship with her baby. The study sample was drawn from a replication study of the Minding …

Distinct Neuropsychological Profile And Associated Neurochemical Changes In Individuals With Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy, Lactic Acidosis, And Stroke-Like Episodes (Melas), Emily B. Leaffer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-like Episodes (MELAS) is a maternally inherited progressive multisystemic disorder. Occurrence of seizure and/or stroke-like episode, as well as classic biomarkers (i.e., cerebral lactic acidosis, depleted N-acetylaspartate (NAA)), have been linked to neuropsychological deficit and trigger the developmental cascade of neurodegeneration affecting posterior prior to anterior brain regions. While a pattern of global deterioration has been reported, systematic examination in a large MELAS cohort has not been conducted.

Objective: First, we examined verbal and visual memory function and its relationship to brain metabolites (lactate, NAA) in individuals with MELAS. Second, we hypothesized that MELAS …

Utilization Of Imaging To Identify A Benign Condition Mimicking Acute Appendicitis In A Child, Neelam Phalke Md, Zubin Mehta Md, Samrat Das Md

School of Medicine Faculty Research

One of the most concerning causes of abdominal pain affecting children is acute appendicitis. However, there are benign conditions that can closely mimic appendicitis in children. In this article, we present a case of a child admitted for possible acute appendicitis and determined to have a condition known as omental infarction. The patient was managed medically and made a full recovery without surgical intervention. The aim of this case report is to review omental infarction and present a way of differentiating this disease from appendicitis, utilizing imaging, with the goal of avoiding surgical intervention. We also discuss the presentation and …

Antiphosphatidylserine Antibody As A Cause Of Multiple Dural Venous Sinus Thromboses And St-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Chelsea K. Varner, Caillin W. Marquardt, Peter V. Pickens

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Objective: Rare disease Background: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by antibodies directed against phos-pholipids on plasma membranes. Through unclear mechanisms, APS confers hypercoagulability. APS may cause recurrent thromboses in the arterial and venous vasculature. We report a case of primary APS resulting in cerebral venous thrombosis and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) for which only antiphosphatidylserine (aPS) IgM antibody was positive after extensive investigation. Case Report: A 48-year-old male was admitted after a witnessed generalized seizure with subsequent confusion. Imaging demonstrated thrombosis of multiple central nervous system (CNS) sinuses, including the superior sagittal sinus and bilateral transverse sinuses. …

Evaluation Of Hybrid Arc And Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy Treatment Plans For Fractionated Stereotactic Intracranial Radiotherapy., Jun Li, David To, Vickie Gunn, Wenyin Shi, Yan Yu, Haisong Lui

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: The study was aimed to compare hybrid arc and volumetric-modulated arc therapy treatment plans for fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy of brain tumors.

METHODS: Treatment plans of 22 patients were studied. Hybrid arc and volumetric-modulated arc therapy plans were generated using Brainlab iPlanDose and Varian Eclipse treatment planning systems, respectively, with 6 MV photon beams on a Varian TrueBeam STx linear accelerator (Palo Alto, CA). Prescription dose was 54 Gy. The fractionation was 1.8 Gy per fraction and 30 fractions in total, or 2 Gy per fraction and 27 fractions in total. Planning target volume ranged from 2.4 to 28.6 cm …

Hypoglycemic, Hypolipidemic And Antioxidant Effects Of Iridoid Glycosides Extracted From: Corni Fructus: Possible Involvement Of The Pi3k-Akt/Pkb Signaling Pathway, Jiefang Kang, Chen Guo, Rodolfo Thome, Ning Yang, Yuan Zhang, Xing Li, Xiaoyan Cao

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Iridoid glycosides (CIG) are the major component of Corni fructus. In this work, we researched the antioxidative, hypoglycemic and lowering blood lipids effects of CIG on diabetic mice induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ). Furthermore, to investigate the molecular mechanism of action, the phosphorylation and protein expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and its downstream proteins, such as insulin receptor (INSR), protein kinase B (Akt/PKB) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) have been detected. The results showed that CIG significantly improved oral glucose tolerance in diabetic mice. Biochemical indices also revealed that CIG had a positive effect on lipid …

Continuous Infusion Of Epoprostenol As Salvage Therapy For Severe Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Jenna Rousseau, Jie Chi

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A critical appraisal and clinical application of Barst RJ, Rubin LJ, Long WA, McGoon MD, Rich S. A comparison of continuous intravenous epoprostenol (prostacyclin) with conventional therapy for primary pulmonary hypertension. New Eng J Med. 1996;334(5):296-301. doi: 10.1056/nejm199602013340504

Leveraging Pet To Image Folate Receptor Α Therapy Of An Antibody-Drug Conjugate, Christian Brand, Ahmad Sadique, Jacob L. Houghton, Kishore Gangagari, Jose F. Ponte, Jason S. Lewis, Naga Vara Kishore Pillarsetty, Joseph A. Konner, Thomas Reiner

Publications and Research

Background: The folate receptor α (FRα)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), IMGN853, shows great antitumor activity against FRα-expressing tumors in vivo, but patient selection and consequently therapy outcome are based on immunohistochemistry. The aim of this study is to develop an antibody-derived immuno-PET imaging agent strategy for targeting FRα in ovarian cancer as a predictor of treatment success. Methods: We developed [89Zr]Zr-DFO-M9346A, a humanized antibody-based radiotracer targeting tumorassociated FRα in the preclinical setting. [89Zr]Zr-DFO-M9346A’s binding ability was tested in an in vitro uptake assay using cell lines with varying FRα expression levels. The diagnostic potential of [89Zr]Zr-M9346A was evaluated in KB and …

Monocarboxylate Transporter 4 (Mct4) Knockout Mice Have Attenuated 4nqo Induced Carcinogenesis; A Role For Mct4 In Driving Oral Squamous Cell Cancer., Sara Bisetto, Diana Whitaker Menezes, Nicole A. Wilski, Madalina Tuluc, Joseph Curry, Tingting Zhan, Christopher M. Snyder, Ubaldo E. Martinez-Outshoorn, Nancy J. Philp

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the 6th most common human cancer and affects approximately 50,000 new patients every year in the US. The major risk factors for HNSCC are tobacco and alcohol consumption as well as oncogenic HPV infections. Despite advances in therapy, the overall survival rate for all-comers is only 50%. Understanding the biology of HNSCC is crucial to identifying new biomarkers, implementing early diagnostic approaches and developing novel therapies. As in several other cancers, HNSCC expresses elevated levels of MCT4, a member of the SLC16 family of monocarboxylate transporters. MCT4 is a H⁺-linked …

Metformin As A Therapeutic Target In Endometrial Cancers., Teresa Lee, Ubaldo E. Martinez-Outshoorn, Russell J. Schilder, Christine H. Kim, Scott D. Richard, Norman G. Rosenblum, Jennifer Johnson

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in developed countries. Its increasing incidence is thought to be related in part to the rise of metabolic syndrome, which has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of hyperestrogenic and hyperinsulinemic states. This has consequently lead to an increase in other hormone-responsive cancers as well e.g., breast and ovarian cancer. The correlation between obesity, hyperglycemia, and endometrial cancer has highlighted the important role of metabolism in cancer establishment and persistence. Tumor-mediated reprogramming of the microenvironment and macroenvironment can range from induction of cytokines and growth factors to stimulation …

Keep Calm And Carry On: Parental Opinions On Improving Clinical Dietary Trials For Young Children, Analise Nicholl, Therese O'Sullivan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Recruitment can be an issue for paediatric research. We aimed to investigate parental opinions of paediatric clinical assessments, and to combine findings with recent literature to inform the design of a clinical dietary trial. We used convenience sampling to recruit 17 parents of children aged 2⁻6 years from two community playgroups in Perth, Western Australia. Three focus groups considered proposed child assessments, study design, and potential study enrolment. Qualitative thematic analysis of focus group transcripts used NVivo 11 (QSR, Melbourne, VIC, Australia). Four main parental concerns emerged, presented here with solutions combining parent responses and relevant literature. (1) Parent and …

Chronically Implanted Intracranial Electrodes: Tissue Reaction And Electrical Changes., Andrew Campbell, Chengyuan Wu

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

The brain-electrode interface is arguably one of the most important areas of study in neuroscience today. A stronger foundation in this topic will allow us to probe the architecture of the brain in unprecedented functional detail and augment our ability to intervene in disease states. Over many years, significant progress has been made in this field, but some obstacles have remained elusive-notably preventing glial encapsulation and electrode degradation. In this review, we discuss the tissue response to electrode implantation on acute and chronic timescales, the electrical changes that occur in electrode systems over time, and strategies that are being investigated …

Variant Of The Anconeus Epitrochlearis Muscle: A Case Report., Chrissie Massrey, Joe Iwanaga, Basem Ishak, Rod J Oskouian, Marios Loukas, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The anconeus epitrochlearis is a muscle variant sometimes present at the elbow. It is present in up to 34% of individuals and has been implicated in some cases of cubital tunnel syndrome. We report an unusual variant of this muscle with additional proximal attachments in the arm. We will review and discuss the background and the clinical relevance of such a muscle.

Lafora Disease Masquerading As Hepatic Dysfunction, Faisal Inayat, Waqas Ullah, Hanan T. Lodhi, Zarak H. Khan, Ghulam Ilyas, Nouman Safdar Ali, Hafez Mohammad A. Abdullah

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Lafora disease is fatal intractable progressive myoclonic epilepsy. It is frequently characterized by epileptic seizures, difficulty walking, muscle spasms, and dementia in late childhood or adolescence. We chronicle here an unusual case of an asymptomatic young male soccer player who presented with elevated liver enzymes. Neurological examination was unremarkable. The diagnostic workup for hepatitis, infectious etiologies, autoimmune disorders, hemochromatosis, Wilson's disease, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and other related diseases was inconclusive. He subsequently underwent an uneventful percutaneous liver biopsy. Based on the pathognomonic histopathological findings, Lafora disease was considered the likely etiology. The present study is a unique illustration of this …

Examining Relationships Between Age At Diagnosis And Health-Related Quality Of Life Outcomes In Prostate Cancer Survivors., Christine J. Kurian, Amy Leader, Melissa S.Y. Thong, Scott W. Keith, Charnita Zeigler-Johnson

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Patient reports of health related quality of life can provide important information about the long-term impact of prostate cancer. Because patient symptoms and function can differ by age of the survivor, the aim of our study was to examine patient-reported quality of life and prostate symptoms by age at diagnosis among a registry of Dutch prostate cancer survivors.

METHODS: A population of 617 individuals from the Patient Reported Outcomes Following Initial Treatment and Long-Term Evaluation of Survivorship (PROFILES) database was surveyed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30) and prostate symptom …

Early Oral Refeeding In Acute Pancreatitis Reduces Length Of Hospital Stay, Sylvie B. Polsky

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A critical appraisal and clinical application of Lariño-Noia J, Lindkvist B, Iglesias-García J, Seijo-Ríos S, Iglesias-Canle J, Domínguez-Muñoz J. Early and/or immediately full caloric diet versus standard refeeding in mild acute pancreatitis: A randomized open-label trial. Pancreatology. 2014;14(3):167-173. doi: 10.1016/j.pan.2014.02.008.