Digital Commons Network^™

Plasma Inflammatory Cytokines And Survival Of Pancreatic Cancer Patients., A. Babic, N. Schnure, N. P. Neupane, M. M. Zaman, N. Rifai, M. W. Welch, L. K. Brais, D. A. Rubinson, V. Morales-Oyarvide, C. Yuan, S. Zhang, E. M. Poole, B. M. Wolpin, M. H. Kulke, D. A. Barbie, K. Wong, C. S. Fuchs, K. Ng

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Inflammation and inflammatory conditions have been associated with pancreatic cancer risk and progression in a number of clinical, epidemiological, and animal model studies. The goal of the present study is to identify plasma markers of inflammation associated with survival of pancreatic cancer patients, and assess their joint contribution to patient outcome.

METHODS: We measured circulating levels of four established markers of inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (sTNF-RII), and macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1)) in 446 patients enrolled in an ongoing prospective clinic-based study. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for …

Limited Immune Surveillance In Lymphoid Tissue By Cytolytic Cd4+ T Cells During Health And Hiv Disease., Marcus Buggert, Son Nguyen, Laura M. Mclane, Maria Steblyanko, Nadia Anikeeva, Dominic Paquin-Proulx, Perla M Del Rio Estrada, Yuria Ablanedo-Terrazas, Kajsa Noyan, Morgan A. Reuter, Korey Demers, Johan K. Sandberg, Michael A. Eller, Hendrik Streeck, Marianne Jansson, Piotr Nowak, Anders Sönnerborg, David H. Canaday, Ali Naji, E. John Wherry, Merlin L. Robb, Steven G Deeks, Gustavo Reyes-Teran, Yuri Sykulev, Annika C. Karlsson, Michael R. Betts

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

CD4+ T cells subsets have a wide range of important helper and regulatory functions in the immune system. Several studies have specifically suggested that circulating effector CD4+ T cells may play a direct role in control of HIV replication through cytolytic activity or autocrine β-chemokine production. However, it remains unclear whether effector CD4+ T cells expressing cytolytic molecules and β-chemokines are present within lymph nodes (LNs), a major site of HIV replication. Here, we report that expression of β-chemokines and cytolytic molecules are enriched within a CD4+ T cell population with high levels of the T-box transcription factors T-bet and …

Murmur Associated With Diastolic Paradoxical Jet Flow In A 43-Year-Old Man With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Michiyo Yamano, Tatsuya Kawasaki, Hirokazu Shiraishi, Tadaaki Kamitani, Takatomo Shima, Takashi Nakamura, Satoaki Matoba

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

A diastolic paradoxical jet flow, often seen in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is a unique flow from the apex toward the base of the left ventricle during isovolumic relaxation. To date, this phenomenon appears to have been noninvasively detected only on echocardiograms. We report the case of a 43-year-old man with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a diastolic paradoxical jet flow, in whom cardiac auscultation revealed a soft S4, a systolic ejection murmur, and a low-pitched early diastolic murmur immediately after S2 at the apex. On comparing his echocardiographic findings with those on phonocardiograms and apexcardiograms, we confirmed that the unusual murmur …

Will Aiming For Quantity Affect Quality? Establishing Open Access At A Fellow-Run Gastroenterology Clinic., Matthew Sullivan Do, Patrick Hickey Do, Eric Nellis Md, Abdul Aleem Mbbs, Rajesh Essrani Md, Hiral N. Shah Md

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance To Evaluate Percutaneous Pulmonary Valve Implantation In Children And Young Adults, Cesar Gonzalez De Alba, Fernando Molina Berganza, John Brownlee, Muhammad Khan, Dilachew Adebo

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Experience with cardiac magnetic resonance to evaluate coronary arteries in children and young adult patients is limited. Because noninvasive imaging has advantages over coronary angiography, we compared the effectiveness of these techniques in patients who were being considered for percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation.

We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 26 patients (mean age, 12.53 ± 4.85 yr; range, 5–25 yr), all of whom had previous right ventricular-to-pulmonary artery homografts. We studied T2-prepared whole-heart images for coronary anatomy, velocity-encoded cine images for ventricular morphology, and function- and time-resolved magnetic resonance angiographic findings. Cardiac catheterization studies included coronary angiography, balloon compression testing, …

Recurrent Vulvar Carcinoma: Complex Surgical Treatment Via Perineal Excision And Reconstruction With Musculocutaneous Flap, Dragoș Popa, Cosmin V. Obleagă, Ștefan Paitici, Stelian Ș. Mogoanta, Ionică D. Vîlcea, Pouya Pourgolafshan, Cristian Gheorghe, Manuela I. Vasile, Raluca Câmpeanu, Cecil S. Mirea

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Vulvar cancer is a malignant disease having a low frequency and with well-established surgical and oncological treatments based on the stage of the disease. The most important therapeutic problem encountered is represented by cases of perineal local regional recurrence, which are common in patients with large primary tumors and can occur even if the margins of the resection had no tumoral invasion.

We present a case study of a 64-year-old patient diagnosed one year ago with squamous vulvar carcinoma (G3) for which a vulvectomy was performed after neoadjuvant radiotherapy. The patient later developed local recurrence with invasion of the anal …

Sickle Cell Disease: Classification Of Clinical Complications And Approaches To Preventive And Therapeutic Management., Samir K. Ballas

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited disorder of hemoglobin structure that has no established cure in adult patients. Cure has been achieved in selected children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) using allogeneic bone marrow transplantation or cord blood transplantation. SCD is essentially a triumvirate of (1) pain syndromes, (2) anemia and its sequelae and (3) organ failure, including infection. Pain, however, is the hallmark of SCD and dominates its clinical picture throughout the life of the patients. The prevalence of these complications varies with age from infancy through adult life. However, pain, infections and anemia requiring blood transfusion occur …

Blood Rheological Abnormalities In Sickle Cell Anemia., Philippe Connes, Céline Renoux, Marc Romana, Manouk Abkarian, Philippe Joly, Cyril Martin, Marie-Dominique Hardy-Dessources, Samir K. Ballas

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

This review focuses on the contribution of abnormal blood rheology in the pathophysiology of sickle cell anemia (SCA). SCA is characterized by a reduction of red blood cell (RBC) deformability but this reduction is very heterogeneous among patients. Recent works have shown that patients with the lowest RBC deformability (measured by ektacytometry) have enhanced hemolysis and would be more prone to develop several complications such as priapism, leg ulcers and glomerulopathy. In contrast, patients with the highest deformability, and not under hydroxyurea therapy, seem to develop more frequently vaso-occlusive like events. Although less studied, RBC aggregation properties are very different …

The Relationship Between Sleep Quality And Motor Function In Hospitalized Older Adult Survivors Of Critical Illness, Maya N. Elías

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary, descriptive aim of this dissertation was to describe the nighttime sleep quality of previously mechanically ventilated older adult patients within 24-48 hours of transfer out of the intensive care unit (ICU) to a medical-surgical floor. The secondary, exploratory aim was to examine the relationships between post-ICU sleep efficiency (SE) and wake after sleep onset (WASO) with grip strength in previously mechanically ventilated older adult patients within 24-48 hours of transfer out of the ICU.

The study included 30 adults ages 65 and older (11 women, 19 men; age 71.37 ± 5.35, range 65-86 years), who were functionally independent …

Comorbidities In Aging Patients With Sickle Cell Disease., Samir K. Ballas

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Sickle cell disease (SCD) in general and sickle cell anemia in particular is a highly complex disorder both at the molecular and clinical levels. Although the molecular lesion is a single-point mutation, the sickle gene is pleiotropic in nature causing multiple phenotypic expressions that constitute the various complications of the disease. Moreover, despite the fact that SCD is a chronic malady, its manifestations are both acute and chronic. The former include, among other things, the recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (its hallmark) and acute chest syndrome. The chronic complications include most commonly avascular necrosis and leg ulcers. Currently, survival of patients with …

Electrophysiological Signatures Of Spatial Boundaries In The Human Subiculum., Sang Ah Lee, Jonathan F. Miller, Andrew J. Watrous, Michael R. Sperling, Ashwini Sharan, Gregory A. Worrell, Brent M. Berry, Joshua P. Aronson, Kathryn A. Davis, Robert E. Gross, Bradley Lega, Sameer Sheth, Sandhitsu R. Das, Joel M. Stein, Richard Gorniak, Daniel S. Rizzuto, Joshua Jacobs

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Environmental boundaries play a crucial role in spatial navigation and memory across a wide range of distantly related species. In rodents, boundary representations have been identified at the single-cell level in the subiculum and entorhinal cortex of the hippocampal formation. Although studies of hippocampal function and spatial behavior suggest that similar representations might exist in humans, boundary-related neural activity has not been identified electrophysiologically in humans until now. To address this gap in the literature, we analyzed intracranial recordings from the hippocampal formation of surgical epilepsy patients (of both sexes) while they performed a virtual spatial navigation task and compared …

The Moderating Effect Of Religion On Death Distress And Quality Of Life Between Christian Cancer Patients In The United States With Muslim Cancer Patients In Saudi Arabia, Doaa Almostadi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is an illness that knows no international boundaries. There are more than eight million global cancer deaths each year. A life-threatening diagnosis generates significant emotional problems for many patients across cultures. Death distress—consisting of death depression, death anxiety and death obsession—often results in poorer treatment adherence and lower overall health and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to determine whether religiosity has a moderating effect on the relationship between death distress and quality of life among patients facing a life-threatening cancer diagnosis.

The study sample consisted of 118 cancer patients: 82 cancer patients from a National …

Apolipoprotein-Defined Lipoprotein Subclasses, Serum Apolipoproteins, And Carotid Intima-Media Thickness In T1d, Arpita Basu, Alicia J. Jenkins, Julie A. Stoner, Ying Zhang, Richrd L. Klein

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Research

Circulating apolipoprotein-defined lipoprotein subclasses (ADLS) and apolipoproteins predict vascular events in the general and type 2 diabetes populations, but data in T1D are limited. We examined associations of ADLS, serum apolipoproteins, and conventional lipids with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) measured contemporaneously and 6 years later in 417 T1D participants [men: n = 269, age 42 +/- 6 y (mean +/- SD); women: n = 148, age 39 +/- 8 y] in the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications study, the follow-up of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). Date were analyzed by multiple linear regression stratified by sex, and …

A New Mini-Navigation Tool Allows Accurate Component Placement During Anterior Total Hip Arthroplasty., Javad Parvizi Md, Jessica R. Benson, Jeffrey M. Muir

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Introduction: Computer-assisted navigation systems have been explored in total hip arthroplasty (THA) to improve component positioning. While these systems traditionally rely on anterior pelvic plane registration, variances in soft tissue thickness overlying anatomical landmarks can lead to registration error, and the supine coronal plane has instead been proposed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a novel navigation tool, using registration of the anterior pelvic plane or supine coronal plane during simulated anterior THA.

Methods: Measurements regarding the acetabular component position, and changes in leg length and offset were recorded. Benchtop phantoms and target measurement values …

Expression Of Carbonic Anhydrase Iii, A Nucleus Pulposus Phenotypic Marker, Is Hypoxia-Responsive And Confers Protection From Oxidative Stress-Induced Cell Death., Elizabeth S. Silagi, Philip Batista, Irving Shapiro, Makarand V. Risbud

Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

The integrity of the avascular nucleus pulposus (NP) phenotype plays a crucial role in the maintenance of intervertebral disc health. While advances have been made to define the molecular phenotype of healthy NP cells, the functional relevance of several of these markers remains unknown. In this study, we test the hypothesis that expression of Carbonic Anhydrase III (CAIII), a marker of the notochordal NP, is hypoxia-responsive and functions as a potent antioxidant without a significant contribution to pH homeostasis. NP, but not annulus fibrosus or end-plate cells, robustly expressed CAIII protein in skeletally mature animals. Although CAIII expression was hypoxia-inducible, …

Spsnet: Subpopulation-Sensitive Network-Based Analysis Of Heterogeneous Gene Expression Data., Abha Belorkar, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Limsoon Wong

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Transcriptomic datasets often contain undeclared heterogeneity arising from biological variation such as diversity of disease subtypes, treatment subgroups, time-series gene expression, nested experimental conditions, as well as technical variation due to batch effects, platform differences in integrated meta-analyses, etc. However, current analysis approaches are primarily designed to handle comparisons between experimental conditions represented by homogeneous samples, thus precluding the discovery of underlying subphenotypes. Unsupervised methods for subtype identification are typically based on individual gene level analysis, which often result in irreproducible gene signatures for potential subtypes. Emerging methods to study heterogeneity have been largely developed in the context of …

Biomarker And Clinical Trial Design Support For Disease-Modifying Therapies: Report Of A Survey Of The Eu/Us: Alzheimer's Disease Task Force, Jeffrey Cummings, Nick Fox, Bruno Vellas, Paul Aisen, Guogen Shan

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

BACKGROUND: Disease-modifying therapies are urgently needed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The European Union/United States (EU/US) Task Force represents a broad range of stakeholders including biopharma industry personnel, academicians, and regulatory authorities. OBJECTIVES: The EU/US Task Force represents a community of knowledgeable individuals who can inform views of evidence supporting disease modification and the development of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). We queried their attitudes toward clinical trial design and biomarkers in support of DMTs. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIANTS: A survey of members of the EU/US Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force was conducted. Ninety-three members (87%) responded. The details were analyzed to understand what …

The Rna Binding Protein Sorbs2 Suppresses Metastatic Colonization Of Ovarian Cancer By Stabilizing Tumor-Suppressive Immunomodulatory Transcripts., Linjie Zhao, Wei Wang, Shuang Huang, Zhengnan Yang, Lian Xu, Qilian Yang, Xiu Zhou, Jinjin Wang, Qiuhong Shen, Chenlu Wang, Xiaobing Le, Min Feng, Nianxin Zhou, Wayne Bond Lau, Bonnie Lau, Shaohua Yao, Tao Yi, Xin Wang, Xia Zhao, Yuquan Wei, Shengtao Zhou

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer constitutes one of the most lethal gynecologic malignancies for females. Currently, early detection strategies and therapeutic options for ovarian cancer are far from satisfactory, leading to high diagnosis rates at late stages and disease relapses. New avenues of therapy are needed that target key processes in ovarian cancer progression. While a variety of non-coding RNAs have been proven to regulate ovarian cancer metastatic progression, the functional roles of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in this process are less well defined.

RESULTS: In this study, we identify that the RBP sorbin and SH3 domain containing 2 (SORBS2) is a potent …

Sex-Dependent Effects Of Developmental Lead Exposure On The Brain, Garima Singh, Vikrant Singh, Marissa Sobolewski, Deborah A. Cory-Slechta, Jay S. Schneider

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The role of sex as an effect modifier of developmental lead (Pb) exposure has until recently received little attention. Lead exposure in early life can affect brain development with persisting influences on cognitive and behavioral functioning, as well as, elevated risks for developing a variety of diseases and disorders in later life. Although both sexes are affected by Pb exposure, the incidence, manifestation, and severity of outcomes appears to differ in males and females. Results from epidemiologic and animal studies indicate significant effect modification by sex, however, the results are not consistent across studies. Unfortunately, only a limited number of …

Gel Manicures And Ultraviolet A Light: A Call For Patient Education., Jordan V. Wang, Dorota Z. Korta, Christopher B. Zachary

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

Gel manicures have become a popular beauty trend in recent years. The specially formulated nail polish must undergo curing under light-based units. The majority of these curing lamps emit high-intensity ultraviolet A, which can cause skin damage and increase the risk for skin cancers. Incorporating relevant information in patient education endeavors can help them practice avoidance, apply broad-spectrum sunscreen prior, or use nitrile exam gloves in order to prevent photoaging and skin cancer resulting from these procedures.

Beyond Concurrent Chemoradiation: The Emerging Role Of Pd-1/Pd-L1 Inhibitors In Stage Iii Lung Cancer., Neal S. Mccall, Adam P. Dicker, Bo Lu

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Concurrent chemoradiation (cCRT) with platinum-based chemotherapy is standard-of-care therapy for patients with stage III unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although cCRT is potentially curative, 5-year overall survival has hovered around 20%, despite extensive efforts to improve outcomes with increasing doses of conformal radiation and intensification of systemic therapy with either induction or consolidation chemotherapy. PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated unprecedented efficacy in patients with stage IV NSCLC. In addition, preclinical and early clinical evidence suggests that chemotherapy and radiation may work synergistically with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy to promote antitumor immunity, which has led to the initiation of clinical trials …

Therapeutic Challenge With A Cdk 4/6 Inhibitor Induces An Rb-Dependent Smac-Mediated Apoptotic Response In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer., Thangavel Chellappagounder, Boopathi Ettickan, Yi Liu, Christopher Mcnair, Alex Haber, Maryna Perepelyuk, Anshul Bhardwaj, Sankar Addya, Adam Ertel, Sunday Shoyele, Ruth Birbe, Joseph M. Salvino, Adam P. Dicker, Karen E. Knudsen, Robert B. Den

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Purpose: The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor (RB), a key regulator of cell-cycle progression and proliferation, is functionally suppressed in up to 50% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). RB function is exquisitely controlled by a series of proteins, including the CyclinD-CDK4/6 complex. In this study, we interrogated the capacity of a CDK4/6 inhibitor, palbociclib, to activate RB function.

Experimental Design and Results: We employed multiple isogenic RB-proficient and -deficient NSCLC lines to interrogate the cytostatic and cytotoxic capacity of CDK 4/6 inhibition in vitro and in vivo We demonstrate that while short-term exposure to palbociclib induces cellular senescence, prolonged exposure results …

Manipulation Of Ploidy In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Erlyana K. Clarke, Katherine A. Rivera Gomez, Zaki Mustachi, Mikaela C. Murph, Mara Schvarzstein

Advanced Science Research Center

Mechanisms that involve whole genome polyploidy play important roles in development and evolution; also, an abnormal generation of tetraploid cells has been associated with both the progression of cancer and the development of drug resistance. Until now, it has not been feasible to easily manipulate the ploidy of a multicellular animal without generating mostly sterile progeny. Presented here is a simple and rapid protocol for generating tetraploid Caenorhabditis elegans animals from any diploid strain. This method allows the user to create a bias in chromosome segregation during meiosis, ultimately increasing ploidy in C. elegans. This strategy relies on the transient …

Age Related Diffusion And Tractography Changes In Typically Developing Pediatric Cervical And Thoracic Spinal Cord, Mahdi Alizadeh, Joshua Fisher, Sona Saksena, Phd, Yusra Sultan, Chris Conklin, Phd, Devon Middleton, Laura Krisa, Phd, Jürgen Finsterbusch, Adam Flanders, Scott H. Faro, M. J. Mulcahey, Feroze Mohamed, Phd

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Background and objective: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) are two techniques that can measure white matter integrity of the spinal cord. Recently, DTI indices have been shown to change with age. The purpose of this study is (a) to evaluate the maturational states of the entire pediatric spinal cord using DTI and DTT indices including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), mean length of white matter fiber tracts and tract density and (b) to analyze the DTI and DTT parameters along the entire spinal cord as a function of spinal cord levels and age. Method: A …

Dosimetric Impact Of A Tumor Treating Fields Device For Glioblastoma Patients Undergoing Simultaneous Radiation Therapy, Taoran Li, Gaurav Shukla, Cheng Peng, Virginia Lockamy, Haisong Lui, Wenyin Shi

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Purpose: A recent randomized phase III clinical trial in patients with glioblastoma demonstrated the efficacy of tumor treating fields (TTFields), in which alternating electric fields are applied via transducer arrays to a patient's scalp. This treatment, when added to standard of care therapy, was shown to increase overall survival from 16 to 20.9 months. These results have generated significant interest in incorporating the use of TTFields during postoperative concurrent chemoradiation. However, the dosimetric impact of high-density electrodes on the scalp, within the radiation field, is unknown. Methods: The dosimetric impact of TTFields electrodes in the radiation field was quantified in …

Large, Long Range Tensile Forces Drive Convergence During, David R. Shook, Eric Kasprowicz, Md, Lance A. Davidson, Raymond Keller

Division of Internal Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

Indirect evidence suggests that blastopore closure during gastrulation of anamniotes, including amphibians such as Xenopus laevis, depends on circumblastoporal convergence forces generated by the marginal zone (MZ), but direct evidence is lacking. We show that explanted MZs generate tensile convergence forces up to 1.5 mN during gastrulation and over 4 mN thereafter. These forces are generated by convergent thickening (CT) until the midgastrula and increasingly by convergent extension (CE) thereafter. Explants from ventralized embryos, which lack tissues expressing CE but close their blastopores, produce up to 2 mN of tensile force, showing that CT alone generates forces sufficient to close …

Cyclin D1-Mediated Microrna Expression Signature Predicts Breast Cancer Outcome, Guangxue Wang, Michael Gormley, Jing Qiao, Qian Zhao, Min Wang, Gabriele Disante, Shengqiong Deng, Lin Dong, Timothy G. Pestell, Xiaoming Ju, Mathew C. Casimiro, Sankar Addya, Adam Ertel, Ayden Tozeren, Qinchuan Li, Zuoren Yu, Richard G. Pestell

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Background: Genetic classification of breast cancer based on the coding mRNA suggests the evolution of distinct subtypes. Whether the non-coding genome is altered concordantly with the coding genome and the mechanism by which the cell cycle directly controls the non-coding genome is poorly understood.

Methods: Herein, the miRNA signature maintained by endogenous cyclin D1 in human breast cancer cells was defined. In order to determine the clinical significance of the cyclin D1-mediated miRNA signature, we defined a miRNA expression superset from 459 breast cancer samples. We compared the coding and non-coding genome of breast cancer subtypes.

Results: Hierarchical clustering of …

Continuous Training And Certification In Neonatal Resuscitation In Remote Areas Using A Multi-Platform Information And Communication Technology Intervention, Compared To Standard Training: A Randomized Cluster Trial Study Protocol, Carlos Alberto Delgado, Enrique M. Gómez Pomar, Pablo Velásquez, Víctor Sánchez, Roberto Shimabuku, Luis Huicho, Rcpneoperu Study Group

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background: About 10% of all newborns may have difficulty breathing and require support by trained personnel. In Peru, 90% of deliveries occur in health facilities. However, there is not a national neonatal resuscitation and certification program for the public health sector. In addition, the Andes and the Amazon regions concentrate large rural remote areas, which further limit the implementation of training programs and the accomplishment of continuous certification. Neonatal resuscitation training through the use of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) tools, running on computers, tablets or mobile phones, may overcome such limitations. This strategy allows online and offline access …

Effect Of Mobile Phone Text Message Reminders On Routine Immunization Uptake In Pakistan: Randomized Controlled Trial, Abdul Momin Kazi, Murtaza Ali, Khurram Zubair, Hussain Kalimuddin, Abdul Nafey Kazi, Saleem Perwaiz Iqbal, Jean-Paul Collet, Syed Asad Ali

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Improved routine immunization (RI) coverage is recommended as the priority public health strategy to decrease vaccine-preventable diseases and eradicate polio in Pakistan and worldwide.
Objective: The objective of this study was to ascertain whether customized, automated, one-way text messaging (short message service, SMS) reminders delivered to caregivers via mobile phones when a child is due for an RI visit can improve vaccination uptake and timelines in Pakistan.
Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial, conducted in an urban squatter settlement area of Karachi, Pakistan. Infants less than 2 weeks of age with at least one family member who had …

Acidosis Potentiates Endothelium-Dependent Vasorelaxation And Gap Junction Communication In The Superior Mesenteric Artery., Ipsita Mohanty, Subas Chandra Parija, Sujit Suklabaidya, Satish Rattan

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

Extracellular pH is an important physiological determinant of vascular tone that is normally maintained within 7.35-7.45. Any change outside this range leads to severe pathological repercussions. We investigated the unknown effects of extracellular acidosis on relaxation in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) of goat. SMA rings were employed to maintain isometric contractions at extracellular pH (pH