Digital Commons Network^™

Identificando Los Limites Del Acceso A La Salud Reproductiva: Un Análisis Sobre Las Experiencias Vividas Por Las Mujeres Guaraníes Con Los Servicios De La Salud Reproductiva En La Villa 31 De Buenos Aires, Amelia Mitchell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In order to serve the ‘public’, public health services must be accessible to everyone, without discrimination based on race, gender, social class, or geographic location, among other facets of identity. Reproductive health services, in particular, are a key service that must be adequately supplied in order to guarantee the health and wellbeing of a population. Reproductive healthcare not only allows individuals to decide if and when they wish to have a child, it also contributes to cancer prevention and the detrimental effects of sexually transmitted diseases. This investigation examines the experiences of Guaraní women that live within “Villa 31” of …

Curcumin And Turmeric Modulate The Tumor-Promoting Effects Of Iron In Vitro., Donald J Messner, Todd Robinson, Kris V Kowdley

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Free or loosely chelated iron has tumor-promoting properties in vitro. Curcumin, a polyphenol derived from the food spice turmeric (Curcuma longa), is a potent antioxidant that binds iron. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether curcuminoids prevent tumor-promoting effects of iron in T51B cells, a non-neoplastic rat liver epithelial cell line. Purified curcuminoids (curcumin) or a standardized turmeric extract similarly reduced oxidative stress and cytotoxicity associated with iron overload (IC

Medical Journals And Social Media: More Alike Than Wanted?, Karsten Wiechert, Jeffrey C Wang, Jens R Chapman

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Lead Exposure Assessment Among Pregnant Women, Newborns, And Children: Case Study From Karachi, Pakistan., Zafar Fatmi, Ambreen Sahito, Akihiko Ikegami, Atsuko Mizuno, Xiaoyi Cui, Nathan Mise, Mai Takagi, Yayoi Kobayashi, Fujio Kayama

Community Health Sciences

Lead (Pb) in petrol has been banned in developed countries. Despite the control of Pb in petrol since 2001, high levels were reported in the blood of pregnant women and children in Pakistan. However, the identification of sources of Pb has been elusive due to its pervasiveness. In this study, we assessed the lead intake of pregnant women and one- to three-year-old children from food, water, house dust, respirable dust, and soil. In addition, we completed the fingerprinting of the Pb isotopic ratios (LIR) of petrol and secondary sources (food, house-dust, respirable dust, soil, surma (eye cosmetics)) of exposure within …

Left Ventricular Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy, Amer Hawatmeh, H Habib, Fayez Shamoon

NYMC Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

State Emergency Department Opioid Guidelines: Current Status., Robert I Broida, Tanner Gronowski, Andrew F Kalnow, Andrew G Little, Christopher M Lloyd

Trauma and Acute Care Articles

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and categorize current state-sponsored opioid guidelines for the practice of emergency medicine (EM).

METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of EM-specific opioid prescribing guidelines and/or policies in each state to determine current state involvement in EM opioid prescribing, as well as to evaluate some of the specifics of each guideline or policy. The search was conducted using an online query and a follow-up email request to each state chapter of ACEP.

RESULTS: We found that 17 states had emergency department-specific guidelines. We further organized the guidelines into four categories: limiting prescriptions …

Using Mobile Health (Mhealth) Technology In The Management Of Diabetes Mellitus, Physical Inactivity, And Smoking, Hasan Rehman, Ayeesha Kamran Kamal, Saleem Sayani, Pamela B. Morris, Anwar T. Merchant, Salim S. Virani

Department of Medicine

Purpose of Review: Cardiovascular mortality remains high due to insufficient progress made in managing cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, physical inactivity, and smoking. Healthy lifestyle choices play an important role in the management of these modifiable risk factors. Mobile health or mHealth is defined as the use of mobile computing and communication technologies (i.e., mobile phones, wearable sensors) for the delivery of health services and healthrelated information. In this review, we examine some recent studies that utilized mHealth tools to improve management of these risk factors, with examples from developing countries where available.
Recent Findings: The mHealth …

Nina Braunwald: A Female Pioneer In Cardiac Surgery, Nikhil Sabharwal, Harmanjit Dev, Hassiba Smail, David C Mcgiffin, Pankaj Saxena

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Nina Starr Braunwald, the first female cardiac surgeon, made headlines during a time when almost all specialty surgeons were men.

Women have typically been deterred from entering surgical specialties, in part because of their traditional dual burden of managing their households and careers. Instead, female medical students and junior doctors have tended to be more attracted to medical specialties. This was the reality during Dr. Braunwald's venture into medicine in 1949. However, she never allowed negative ideas to keep her from joining a surgical training program.

Under the mentorship of the prominent cardiac surgeons Charles Hufnagel and Andrew Morrow, Dr. …

High-Grade Cervical Dysplasia In Pregnancy – Psychological And Medical Challenges, Denisa O. Balalau, Romina M. Sima, Nicolae Bacalbasa, Petrisor Banu, Cristian Bălălău, Liana Ples, Anca D. Stanescu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Despite being rare, the incidence of pregnancy-related cancer is expected to rise as women continue to delay childbearing and give birth later in their reproductive years. In this broad category, tumors like breast cancer, dermatological neoplasia and cervical cancer are most common and tend to arise in women of childbearing age. All pregnant women with clinical and cytologic suspicion of cervical cancer, except for squamous atypia or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, should undergo colposcopy, with or without biopsy, the latter being avoided if possible due to possible complications which, although rare, may involve preterm labor initiation.

Some studies have attempted …

Unique Synergistic Formulation Of Curcumin, Epicatechin Gallate And Resveratrol, Tricurin, Suppresses Hpv E6, Eliminates Hpv+ Cancer Cells, And Inhibits Tumor Progression, Sumit Mukherjee, Priya Ranjan Debata, Rahman Hussaini, Kaushiki Chatterjee, Juliet N. E. Baidoo, Samay Sampat, Anita Szerszen, Joseph P. Navarra, Jimmie Fata, Elena Severinova, Probal Banerjee, Mario R. Castellanos

Publications and Research

Curcumin (from curry) (C) is highly potent against cervical cancer cells (CCC), but poor bioavailability has limited its clinical use. Similar natural polyphenols resveratrol (from grapes) (R), and epicatechin gallate (from green tea) (E) also display activity against CCC. By treating CCC (HeLa) with C, E, or R, or combinations of these compounds, we computed combination indices and observed a strong synergism among C, E, and R at the unique molar ratio 4:1:12.5. This combination, named as TriCurin, rapidly down regulated HPV18 E6 and NF-kB expression while concomitantly inducing the tumor suppressor protein p53 in HeLa cells. In the mouse …

Neutralizing Anti-Interleukin-1Β Antibodies Reduce Ischemia-Related Interleukin-1Β Transport Across The Blood-Brain Barrier In Fetal Sheep, Aparna Patra, Xiaodi Chen, Grazyna B. Sadowska, Jiyong Zhang, Yow-Pin Lim, James F. Padbury, William A. Banks, Barbara S. Stonestreet

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Hypoxic ischemic insults predispose to perinatal brain injury. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are important in the evolution of this injury. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a key mediator of inflammatory responses and elevated IL-1β levels in brain correlate with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes after brain injury. Impaired blood-brain barrier (BBB) function represents an important component of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in the fetus. In addition, ischemia-reperfusion increases cytokine transport across the BBB of the ovine fetus. Reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine entry into brain could represent a novel approach to attenuate ischemia-related brain injury. We hypothesized that infusions of neutralizing IL-1β monoclonal antibody (mAb) reduce IL-1β transport across …

A New Class Of Inhibitors Of The Arac Family Virulence Regulator Vibrio Cholerae Toxt, Anne K. Woodbrey, Evans O. Onyango, Maria Pellegrini, Gabriela Kovacikova, Ronald Taylor, Gordon Gribble, F. Jon Kull

Dartmouth Scholarship

Vibrio cholerae is responsible for the diarrheal disease cholera that infects millions of people worldwide. While vaccines protecting against cholera exist, and oral rehydration therapy is an effective treatment method, the disease will remain a global health threat until long-term solutions such as improved sanitation and access to clean water become widely available. Because of this, there is a pressing need for potent therapeutics that can either mitigate cholera symptoms, or act prophylactically to prevent the virulent effects of a cholera infection. Here we report the design, synthesis, and characterization of a set of compounds that bind and inhibit ToxT, …

Functional Studies Of Ccaat/Enhancer Binding Protein Site Located Downstream Of The Transcriptional Start Site., Yujie Liu, Michael R. Nonnemacher, Aikaterini Alexaki, Vanessa Pirrone, Anupam Banerjee, Luna Li, Evelyn Kilareski, Brian Wigdahl

Kimmel Cancer Center Papers, Presentations, and Grand Rounds

Previous studies have identified a CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) site located downstream of the transcriptional start site (DS3). The role of the DS3 element with respect to HIV-1 transactivation by Tat and viral replication has not been characterized. We have demonstrated that DS3 was a functional C/EBPβ binding site and mutation of this site to the C/EBP knockout DS3-9C variant showed lower HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) transactivation by C/EBPβ. However, it was able to exhibit similar or even higher transcription levels by Tat compared to the parental LTR. C/EBPβ and Tat together further enhanced the transcription level of the …

Advocacy Efforts In Trauma And Acute Care Surgery: Learning To Walk, Lewis J. Kaplan, Erik Barquist, Donald Jenkins, Orlando C. Kirton

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

No abstract provided.

Symptoms Relevant To Surveillance For Ovarian Cancer, Robert M. Ore, Lauren Baldwin, Dylan Woolum, Erika Elliott, Christiaan Wijers, Chieh-Yu Chen, Rachel W. Miller, Christopher P. Desimone, Frederick R. Ueland, Richard J. Kryscio, John R. Van Nagell, Edward J. Pavlik

Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Publications

To examine how frequently and confidently healthy women report symptoms during surveillance for ovarian cancer. A symptoms questionnaire was administered to 24,526 women over multiple visits accounting for 70,734 reports. A query of reported confidence was included as a confidence score (CS). Chi square, McNemars test, ANOVA and multivariate analyses were performed. 17,623 women completed the symptoms questionnaire more than one time and > 9500 women completed it more than one four times for > 43,000 serially completed questionnaires. Reporting ovarian cancer symptoms was ~245 higher than ovarian cancer incidence. The positive predictive value (0.073%) for identifying ovarian cancer based on symptoms …

Improving Dementia Care Through Online Training Programs: A Systematic Review And Evaluation, Michelle L. Pleasant

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the next thirty years, Alzheimer’s disease rates will increase alongside global aging. To handle the anticipated increase in demand, knowledgeable and skilled dementia caregivers are in need throughout the long-term care spectrum. Online training programs have emerged as a viable and convenient platform to educate both formal and informal caregivers. The first and second study systematically reviewed online dementia training programs and evaluated the CARES® Dementia Basics Training Program among formal and informal caregivers.

The first study is a systematic review of online dementia-based training programs for both formal and informal caregivers conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for …

Galactose And Its Metabolites Deteriorate Metaphase Ii Mouse Oocyte Quality And Subsequent Embryo Development By Disrupting The Spindle Structure, Mili Thakur, Faten Shaeib, Sana N. Khan, Hamid-Reza Kohan-Ghader, Roohi Jeelani, Sarah R. Aldhaheri, Bernard Gonik, Husam M. Abu-Soud

C.S. Mott Center Research Publications

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a frequent long-term complication of classic galactosemia. The majority of women with this disorder develop POI, however rare spontaneous pregnancies have been reported. Here, we evaluate the effect of D-galactose and its metabolites, galactitol and galactose 1-phosphate, on oocyte quality as well as embryo development to elucidate the mechanism through which these compounds mediate oocyte deterioration. Metaphase II mouse oocytes (n=240), with and without cumulus cells (CCs), were exposed for 4hours to D-galactose (2μM), galactitol (11μM) and galactose 1-phosphate (0.1mM), (corresponding to plasma concentrations in patients on galactoserestricted diet) and compared to controls. The treated …

Development And Validation Of Measures To Evaluate Adolescents' Knowledge About Human Papillomavirus (Hpv), Involvement In Hpv Vaccine Decision-Making, Self-Efficacy To Receive The Vaccine And Fear And Anxiety, A. S. Forster, K. A. Mcbride, C. Davies, T. Stoney, H. Marshall, K. Mcgeechan, Spring C. Cooper, S. R. Skinner

Publications and Research

Objectives: We describe the development and validation of measures of human papillomavirus (HPV)/HPV vaccination knowledge, fear/anxiety about vaccination, involvement in HPV vaccine decision-making, and self-efficacy with regard to getting the vaccine, designed to evaluate the efficacy of an intervention to affect these domains (collectively termed the HAVIQ: HPV Adolescent Vaccine Intervention Questionnaire). Study design: Literature search, cognitive interviews and cross-sectional survey.

Methods: A literature search identified existing items that were modified for the present measures. Experts reviewed draft measures for face and content validity. Cognitive interviews with adolescents were also used to assess content validity. Adolescents completed the measures and …

Dynamic Transcriptomes Identify Biogenic Amines And Insect-Like Hormonal Regulation For Mediating Reproduction In Schistosoma Japonicum., Jipeng Wang, Ying Yu, Haimo Shen, Tao Qing, Yuanting Zheng, Qing Li, Xiaojin Mo, Shuqi Wang, Nana Li, Riyi Chai, Bin Xu, Mu Liu, Paul J Brindley, Donald P Mcmanus, Zheng Feng, Leming Shi, Wei Hu

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Eggs produced by the mature female parasite are responsible for the pathogenesis and transmission of schistosomiasis. Female schistosomes rely on a unique male-induced strategy to accomplish reproductive development, a process that is incompletely understood. Here we map detailed transcriptomic profiles of male and female Schistosoma japonicum across eight time points throughout the sexual developmental process from pairing to maturation. The dynamic gene expression pattern data reveal clear sex-related characteristics, indicative of an unambiguous functional division between males and females during their interplay. Cluster analysis, in situ hybridization and RNAi assays indicate that males likely use biogenic amine neurotransmitters through the …

Reducing Caregiver Burden: Fostering Healthy Aging And Social Support, Maria A. Rodriguez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over 43.5 million Americans provide informal care to a fast-growing elderly population in the United States. Informal care allows care-recipients to remain functional members of society. However, research suggests that the demands of informal care can negatively impact the health of caregivers. For example, caregiver burden increases the risk for poor health in caregivers compared to non-caregivers. Caregiving research is on the rise, but the dynamics of informal care in active retirement communities remains widely unexplored. To provide adequate services to lessen caregiver burden and improve the Quality of Life (QoL) of informal caregivers, the various settings in which informal …

The Soy-Derived Peptide Lunasin Inhibits Invasive Potential Of Melanoma Initiating Cells, Chris Shidal, Jun-Ichi Inaba, Kavitha Yaddanapudi, Keith R. Davis

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Lunasin is a 44 amino acid peptide with multiple functional domains including an aspartic acid tail, an RGD domain, and a chromatin-binding helical domain. We recently showed that Lunasin induced a phenotype switch of cancer initiating cells (CIC) out of the stem compartment by inducing melanocyte-associated differentiation markers while simultaneously reducing stem-cell-associated transcription factors. In the present study, we advance the hypothesis that Lunasin can reduce pools of melanoma cells with stem cell-like properties, and demonstrate that Lunasin treatment effectively inhibits the invasive potential of CICs in vitro as well as in vivo in a mouse experimental metastasis model. Mice …

Camp Signaling Enhances Hiv-1 Long Terminal Repeat (Ltr)-Directed Transcription And Viral Replication In Bone Marrow Progenitor Cells., Anupam Banerjee, Luna Li, Vanessa Pirrone, Fred C. Krebs, Brian Wigdahl, Michael R. Nonnemacher

Kimmel Cancer Center Papers, Presentations, and Grand Rounds

CD34⁺ hematopoietic progenitor cells have been shown to be susceptible to HIV-1 infection, possibly due to a low-level expression of CXCR4, a coreceptor for HIV-1 entry. Given these observations, we have explored the impact of forskolin on cell surface expression of CXCR4 in a cell line model (TF-1). The elevation of intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) by forskolin through adenylyl cyclase (AC) resulted in transcriptional upregulation of CXCR4 with a concomitant increase in replication of the CXCR4-utilizing HIV-1 strain IIIB. Transient expression analyses also demonstrated an increase in CXCR4-, CCR5-, and CXCR4-/CCR5-utilizing HIV-1 (LAI, YU2, and 89.6, respectively) promoter …

A Murine Model To Study Epilepsy And Sudep Induced By Malaria Infection., Paddy Ssentongo, Anna E Robuccio, Godfrey Thuku, Derek G Sim, Ali Nabi, Fatemeh Bahari, Balaji Shanmugasundaram, Myles W Billard, Andrew Geronimo, Kurt W Short, Patrick J Drew, Jennifer Baccon, Steven L Weinstein, Frank G Gilliam, José A Stoute, Vernon M Chinchilli, Andrew F Read, Bruce J Gluckman, Steven J Schiff

Neurology Faculty Publications

One of the largest single sources of epilepsy in the world is produced as a neurological sequela in survivors of cerebral malaria. Nevertheless, the pathophysiological mechanisms of such epileptogenesis remain unknown and no adjunctive therapy during cerebral malaria has been shown to reduce the rate of subsequent epilepsy. There is no existing animal model of postmalarial epilepsy. In this technical report we demonstrate the first such animal models. These models were created from multiple mouse and parasite strain combinations, so that the epilepsy observed retained universality with respect to genetic background. We also discovered spontaneous sudden unexpected death in epilepsy …

Complications From Surgeries Related To Ovarian Cancer Screening, Lauren A. Baldwin, Edward J. Pavlik, Emma Ueland, Hannah E. Brown, Kelsey M. Ladd, Bin Huang, Christopher P. Desimone, John R. Van Nagell, Frederick R. Ueland, Rachel W. Miller

Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to evaluate complications of surgical intervention for participants in the Kentucky Ovarian Cancer Screening Program and compare results to those of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening trial. A retrospective database review included 657 patients who underwent surgery for a positive screen in the Kentucky Ovarian Cancer Screening Program from 1988–2014. Data were abstracted from operative reports, discharge summaries, and office notes for 406 patients. Another 142 patients with incomplete records were interviewed by phone. Complete information was available for 548 patients. Complications were graded using the Clavien–Dindo (C–D) Classification of Surgical …

The Efficacy And Safety Of Apremilast, Etanercept And Placebo In Patients With Moderate-To-Severe Plaque Psoriasis: 52-Week Results From A Phase Iiib, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial (Liberate)., K Reich, M Gooderham, L Green, A Bewley, Z Zhang, I Khanskaya, R M Day, J Goncalves, K Shah, V Piguet, J Soung

Dermatology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Apremilast, an oral, small-molecule phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor, has demonstrated efficacy in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate efficacy and safety of apremilast vs. placebo in biologic-naive patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and safety of switching from etanercept to apremilast in a phase IIIb, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (NCT01690299).

METHODS: Two hundred and fifty patients were randomized to placebo (n = 84), apremilast 30 mg BID (n = 83) or etanercept 50 mg QW (n = 83) through Week 16; thereafter, all patients continued or switched to apremilast through Week 104. The primary efficacy endpoint was achievement of PASI-75 at …

Substance Use And Treatment Outcomes Among Spanish-Speaking Latino/As From Four Acculturation Types., Kelly Serafini, Dennis C Wendt, India J Ornelas, Suzanne R Doyle, Dennis M Donovan

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of acculturation with substance use treatment outcomes in a sample of treatment-seeking Latino/as (N = 405). The study used data from a multisite randomized controlled trial of a culturally adapted version of Motivational Enhancement Therapy delivered in Spanish. Berry, Kim, Minde, and Mok's (1987) acculturation model was used to divide the sample into 4 types (integrated, assimilated, separated, marginalized), based on Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire scores. One-way analyses of variance, chi-squared tests, and repeated-measures regression were used to examine baseline acculturation, posttreatment outcomes, and follow-up outcomes. All participants were of Latino/a …

Bone Morphogenic Proteins Are A Good Choice For Select Spinal Surgeries And Merit Further Research., Doniel Drazin, Eric Choi, Alfredo Garcia, Tarush Rustagi

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Labrad : Vol 43, Issue 1 - March 2017, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

LABRAD - Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Radiology Archives

• Chikungunya
• Rapid Molecular Diagnosis of Chlamydia Trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria Gonorrhoeae (NG) Urethritis
• Overview of Rubella Testing
• Most Common Bone and Soft Tissue Infections Seen in our Practice
• Diagnosis of Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Developing Countries- Pros & Cons
• Screening for Neonatal Infections with TORCH Profile
• Blood and Bone Marrow Changes in Viral Infections
• Malaria
• World Rare Disease Day
• Radiology Pathology Correlation

Endothelin Signaling In Bone, Jasmin Kristianto, Michael Johnson, Rafia Afzal, Robert D. Blank

Department of Anaesthesia

The endothelin (ET) system includes 3 small peptide hormones and a pair of G-protein-coupled receptors. This review first outlines the ET signaling pathway and ET metabolism. Next, it summarizes the role of ET1 signaling in craniofacial development. Then, it discusses observations relating ET signaling to osteoblastic and other osteosclerotic processes in cancer. Finally, it describes recent work in our laboratory that points to endothelin signaling as an upstream mediator of WNT signaling, promoting bone matrix synthesis and mineralization. It concludes with a statement of some remaining gaps in knowledge and proposals for future research.

Differentiated State Of Initiating Tumor Cells Is Key To Distinctive Immune Responses Seen In H-Ras, Michael A Podolsky, Jacob T Bailey, Andrew J Gunderson, Carrie J Oakes, Kyle Breech, Adam B Glick

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Heterogeneity in tumor immune responses is a poorly understood yet critical parameter for successful immunotherapy. In two doxycycline-inducible models where oncogenic H-RasG12V is targeted either to the epidermal basal/stem cell layer with a Keratin14-rtTA transgene (K14Ras), or committed progenitor/suprabasal cells with an Involucrin-tTA transgene (InvRas), we observed strikingly distinct tumor immune responses. On threshold doxycycline levels yielding similar Ras expression, tumor latency, and numbers, tumors from K14Ras mice had an immunosuppressed microenvironment, whereas InvRas tumors had a proinflammatory microenvironment. On a Rag1-/- background, InvRas mice developed fewer and smaller tumors that regressed over time, whereas K14Ras mice developed more …