Digital Commons Network^™

Sexual Violence And Sub-Saharan Migrants In Morocco: A Community-Based Participatory Assessment Using Respondent Driven Sampling, Ines Keygnaert, Abdessamad Dialmy, Altay Manço, Jeroen Keygnaert, Nicole Vettenburg, Kristien Roelens, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: The European Union contracted Morocco to regulate migration from so-called “transit migrants” from Morocco to Europe via the European Neighbourhood Policy. Yet, international organisations signal that human, asylum and refugee rights are not upheld in Morocco and that many sub-Saharan migrants suffer from ill-health and violence. Hence, our study aimed at 1) investigating the nature of violence that sub-Saharan migrants experience around and in Morocco, 2) assessing which determinants they perceive as decisive and 3) formulating prevention recommendations.

Methods: Applying Community-Based Participatory Research, we trained twelve sub-Saharan migrants as Community Researchers to conduct in-depth interviews with peers, using Respondent …

Surface Attachment Induces Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Virulence, Albert Siryaporn, Sherry L. Kuchma, George A. Ou2019toole, Zemer Gitai

Dartmouth Scholarship

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infects every type of host that has been examined by deploying multiple virulence factors. Previous studies of virulence regulation have largely focused on chemical cues, but P. aeruginosa may also respond to mechanical cues. Using a rapid imaging-based virulence assay, we demonstrate that P. aeruginosa activates virulence in response to attachment to a range of chemically distinct surfaces, suggesting that this bacterial species responds to mechanical properties of its substrates. Surface-activated virulence requires quorum sensing, but activating quorum sensing does not induce virulence without surface attachment. The activation of virulence by surfaces also requires the surface-exposed protein PilY1, …

Innovations To Improve Access To Primary Health Care For Vulnerable Populations: Results From An Environmental Scan Using A Social Media Approach, Lauralie Richard Phd, Jane M. Gunn Mbbs, Phd Fracgp, John Furler Fracgp, Mbbs, Phd, Benjamin F. Crabtree Phd, Jeannie Haggerty Phd, Pierre Pluye Md, Phd, William L. Miller Md, Ma, Jean-Frédéric Levesque Md, Phd, Frcp, Grant M. Russell Mbbs, Phd, Fracgp

Department of Family Medicine

No abstract provided.

The Long Non-Coding Rna Pcat-1 Promotes Prostate Cancer Cell Proliferation Through Cmyc., John R. Prensner, Wei Chen, Sumin Han, Matthew K. Iyer, Qi Cao, Vishal Kothari, Joseph R. Evans, Karen E. Knudsen, Michelle T. Paulsen, Mats Ljungman, Theodore S. Lawrence, Arul M. Chinnaiyan, Felix Y. Feng

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent an emerging layer of cancer biology, contributing to tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Here, we describe a role for the oncogenic lncRNA PCAT-1 in prostate cancer proliferation through cMyc. We find that PCAT-1-mediated proliferation is dependent on cMyc protein stabilization, and using expression profiling, we observed that cMyc is required for a subset of PCAT-1-induced expression changes. The PCAT-1-cMyc relationship is mediated through the post-transcriptional activity of the MYC 3' untranslated region, and we characterize a role for PCAT-1 in the disruption of MYC-targeting microRNAs. To further elucidate a role for post-transcriptional regulation, we demonstrate …

Plasticity In The Contribution Of T Cell Receptor Variable Region Residues To Binding Of Peptide-Hla-A2 Complexes, Sheena N. Smith, Daniel Sommermeyer, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Sydney J. Blevins, Helga Bernhard, Wolfgang Uckert, Brian M. Baker, David M. Kranz

Food for Health: Publications

One hypothesis to account for MHC-restriction by T cell receptors (TCRs) holds that there are several evolutionary-conserved residues in TCR variable regions that contact MHC. While this ‘germline-codon’ hypothesis is supported by various lines of evidence, it has been difficult to test. The difficulty stems in part from the fact that TCRs exhibit low affinities for pep/MHC, thus limiting the range of binding energies that can be assigned to these key interactions using mutational analyses. To measure the magnitude of binding energies involved, here we used high affinity TCRs engineered by mutagenesis of CDR3. The TCRs included a high-affinity, MART-1/ …

The Induction Of The P53 Tumor Suppressor Protein Bridges The Apoptotic And Autophagic Signaling Pathways To Regulate Cell Death In Prostate Cancer Cells., Lymor Ringer, Paul Sirajuddin, Lucas Tricoli, Sarah Waye, Muhammad Umer Choudhry, Erika Parasido, Angiela Sivakumar, Mary Heckler, Aisha Naeem, Iman Abdelgawad, Xuefeng Liu, Adam S Feldman, Richard J Lee, Chin-Lee Wu, Venkata Yenugonda, Bhaskar Kallakury, Anatoly Dritschilo, John Lynch, Richard Schlegel, Olga Rodriguez, Richard Pestell, Maria Laura Avantaggiati, Chris Albanese

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

The p53 tumor suppressor protein plays a crucial role in influencing cell fate decisions in response to cellular stress. As p53 elicits cell cycle arrest, senescence or apoptosis, the integrity of the p53 pathway is considered a key determinant of anti-tumor responses. p53 can also promote autophagy, however the role of p53-dependent autophagy in chemosensitivity is poorly understood. VMY-1-103 (VMY), a dansylated analog of purvalanol B, displays rapid and potent anti-tumor activities, however the pathways by which VMY works are not fully defined. Using established prostate cancer cell lines and novel conditionally reprogrammed cells (CRCs) derived from prostate cancer patients; …

Connecting Undergraduate Science Education With The Needs Of Today's Graduates, Viviane Callier, Richard H. Singiser, Nathan L. Vanderford

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Undergraduate science programs are not providing graduates with the knowledgebase and skills they need to be successful on today’s job market. Curricular changes relevant to today’s marketplace and more opportunities for internships and work experience during students’ secondary education would facilitate a smoother transition to the working world and help employers find graduates that possess both the hard and soft skills needed in the workplace. In this article, we discuss these issues and offer solutions that would generate more marketplace-ready undergraduates.

Alzheimer's Therapeutics Targeting Amyloid Beta 1-42 Oligomers I: Abeta 42 Oligomer Binding To Specific Neuronal Receptors Is Displaced By Drug Candidates That Improve Cognitive Deficits, Nicholas J. Izzo, Agnes Staniszewski, Lillian To, Mauro Fa, Andrew F. Teich, Faisal Saeed, Harrison Wostein, Thomas Walko Iii, Anisha Vaswani, Meghan Wardius, Zanobia Syed, Jessica Ravenscroft, Kelsie Mozzoni, Colleen Silky, Courtney Rehak, Raymond Yurko, Patricia Finn, Gary Look, Gilbert Rishton, Hank Safferstein, Miles Miller, Conrad Johanson, Edward Stopa, Manfred Windisch, Birgit Hutter-Paier, Mehrdad Shamloo, Ottavio Arancio, Harry Levine Iii, Susan M. Catalano

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Synaptic dysfunction and loss caused by age-dependent accumulation of synaptotoxic beta amyloid (Abeta) 1-42 oligomers is proposed to underlie cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Alterations in membrane trafficking induced by Abeta oligomers mediates reduction in neuronal surface receptor expression that is the basis for inhibition of electrophysiological measures of synaptic plasticity and thus learning and memory. We have utilized phenotypic screens in mature, in vitro cultures of rat brain cells to identify small molecules which block or prevent the binding and effects of Abeta oligomers. Synthetic Abeta oligomers bind saturably to a single site on neuronal synapses and induce …

Alzheimer's Therapeutics Targeting Amyloid Beta 1–42 Oligomers Ii: Sigma-2/Pgrmc1 Receptors Mediate Abeta 42 Oligomer Binding And Synaptotoxicity, Nicholas J. Izzo, Jinbin Xu, Chenbo Zeng, Molly J. Kirk, Kelsie Mozzoni, Colleen Silky, Courtney Rehak, Raymond Yurko, Gary Look, Gilbert Rishton, Hank Safferstein, Carlos Cruchaga, Alison Goate, Michael A. Cahill, Ottavio Arancio, Robert H. Mach, Rolf Craven, Elizabeth Head, Harry Levine Iii, Tara L. Spires-Jones, Susan M. Catalano

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Amyloid beta (Abeta) 1-42 oligomers accumulate in brains of patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and disrupt synaptic plasticity processes that underlie memory formation. Synaptic binding of Abeta oligomers to several putative receptor proteins is reported to inhibit long-term potentiation, affect membrane trafficking and induce reversible spine loss in neurons, leading to impaired cognitive performance and ultimately to anterograde amnesia in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have identified a receptor not previously associated with AD that mediates the binding of Abeta oligomers to neurons, and describe novel therapeutic antagonists of this receptor capable of blocking Abeta toxic …

Severe Tubulointerstitial Nephritis From Acute Epstein-Barr Virus Infection, Craig A. Mackaness Do

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Self-Propagative Replication Of Aβ Oligomers Suggests Potential Transmissibility In Alzheimer Disease, Amit Kumar, Kayla M. Pate, Melissa A. Moss, Dexter N. Dean, Vijayaraghavan Rangachari

Faculty Publications

The aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and its deposition in parts of the brain form the central processes in the etiology of Alzheimer disease (AD). The low-molecular weight oligomers of Aβ aggregates (2 to 30 mers) are known to be the primary neurotoxic agents whose mechanisms of cellular toxicity and synaptic dysfunction have received substantial attention in the recent years. However, how these toxic agents proliferate and induce widespread amyloid deposition throughout the brain, and what mechanism is involved in the amplification and propagation of toxic oligomer species, are far from clear. Emerging evidence based on transgenic mice models indicates …

The Translational Biology Of Remyelination: Past, Present, And Future, Robin J.M. Franklin, Vittorio Gallo

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Amongst neurological diseases, multiple sclerosis (MS) presents an attractive target for regenerative medicine. This is because the primary pathology, the loss of myelin-forming oligodendrocytes, can be followed by a spontaneous and efficient regenerative process called remyelination. While cell transplantation approaches have been explored as a means of replacing lost oligodendrocytes, more recently therapeutic approaches that target the endogenous regenerative process have been favored. This is in large part due to our increasing understanding of (1) the cell types within the adult brain that are able to generate new oligodendrocytes, (2) the mechanisms and pathways by which this achieved, and (3) …

Evidence-Informed Guidelines For Pediatric Pandemic Planning And Response, Ginny Sprang, James J. Clark, Miriam Silman, Phyllis W. Leigh, Candice M. Jackson, A. Scott Lajoie

Center on Trauma and Children Reports

From the executive summary:

Pandemic events are unpredictable and inevitable. When they occur, the impact is both all-encompassing and asymmetrical; each pandemic targets specific, vulnerable populations, but ultimately impacts individuals, families and communities throughout the world. Regardless of origin or circumstances, the next pandemic will certainly count infants, children, and adolescents among its most vulnerable targets. As evidenced by the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, children may be at higher risk than populations more typically seen as susceptible to pandemic illness (the elderly, those with weakened immune systems, etc.). Children also can function as disease vectors, spreading the virus through their …

Hypoxic Stress Induces, But Cannot Sustain Trophoblast Stem Cell Differentiation To Labyrinthine Placenta Due To Mitochondrial Insufficiency, Yufen Xie, Sichang Zhou, Zhongliang Jiang, Jing Dai, Elizabeth E. Puscheck, Icksoo Lee, Graham Parker, Maik Hüttemann, Daniel A. Rappolee

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Publications

Dysfunctional stem cell differentiation into placental lineages is associated with gestational diseases. Of the differentiated lineages available to trophoblast stem cells (TSC), elevated O2 and mitochondrial function are necessary to placental lineages at the maternal–placental surface and important in the etiology of preeclampsia. TSC lineage imbalance leads to embryonic failure during uterine implantation. Stress at implantation exacerbates stem cell depletion by decreasing proliferation and increasing differentiation. In an implantation site O2 is normally ~ 2%. In culture, exposure to 2% O2 and fibroblast growth factor 4 (FGF4) enabled the highest mouse TSC multipotency and proliferation. In contrast, hypoxic stress (0.5% …

Acidosis Potentiates The Host Proinflammatory Interleukin-1Β Response To Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infection, I. M. Torres, Y. R. Patankar, Tamer B. Shabaneh, E. Dolben, Deborah Hogan, David Leib, Brent L. Berwin

Dartmouth Scholarship

Infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and bacteria in general, frequently promotes acidification of the local microenvironment, and this is reinforced by pulmonary exertion and exacerbation. However, the consequence of an acidic environment on the host inflammatory response to P. aeruginosa infection is poorly understood. Here we report that the pivotal cellular and host proinflammatory interleukin-1β (IL-1β) response, which enables host clearance of the infection but can produce collateral inflammatory damage, is increased in response to P. aeruginosa infection within an acidic environment. Synergistic mechanisms that promote increased IL-1β release in response to P. aeruginosa infection in an acidic environment are …

Provider Cost Analysis Supports Results-Based Contracting Out Of Maternal And Newborn Health Services: An Evidence-Based Policy Perspective, Peter Hatcher, Shiraz Shaikh, Hassan Fazli, Shehla Zaidi, Atif Riaz

Community Health Sciences

Background

There is dearth of evidence on provider cost of contracted out services particularly for Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH). The evidence base is weak for policy makers to estimate resources required for scaling up contracting. This paper ascertains provider unit costs and expenditure distribution at contracted out government primary health centers to inform the development of optimal resource envelopes for contracting out MNH services.

Methods

This is a case study of provider costs of MNH services at two government Rural Health Centers (RHCs) contracted out to a non-governmental organization in Pakistan. It reports on four selected Basic Emergency Obstetrical …

Skor Malnutrisi-Inflamasi, C-Reactive Protein Dan Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-1 Pada Pasien Hemodialisis Yang Mengalami Aterosklerosis, J. Sarwono, Suhardjono Suhardjono, Parlindungan Siregar, Suhendro Suwarto

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Pendahuluan. Hemodialisis (HD) berkaitan erat dengan proses inflamasi yang persisten, inflamasi ini berhubungan dengan terjadinya kontak darah dengan membran dialisis, cairan dialisat, akses vaskuler dan infeksi. Peningkatan sitokin pro-inflamasi berperan penting terhadap terjadinya aterosklerosis selain faktor tradisional Framingham. Inflamasi juga berakibat anoreksia dan kondisi hiperkatabolik yang menyebabkan malnutrisi. Keadaan ini disebut sebagai Sindrom Malnutrisi-Inflamasi-Aterosklerosis. Karakteristik HD di Indonesia berbeda dengan negara maju, perbedaan tersebut terkait penggunaan dialyzer pakai ulang dan tipe low-flux, belum menggunakan dialisat ultrapure dan dosis HD yang tidak adekuat. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui apakah terdapat beda rerata antara jumlah Skor-MI, hsCRP dan sTNFR-1 pada pasien …

Nutrition And Prevention Of Alzheimer's Dementia, Arun Swaminathan, Gregory A. Jicha

Neurology Faculty Publications

A nutritional approach to prevent, slow, or halt the progression of disease is a promising strategy that has been widely investigated. Much epidemiologic data suggests that nutritional intake may influence the development and progression of Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). Modifiable, environmental causes of AD include potential metabolic derangements caused by dietary insufficiency and or excess that may be corrected by nutritional supplementation and or dietary modification. Many nutritional supplements contain a myriad of health promoting constituents (anti-oxidants, vitamins, trace minerals, flavonoids, lipids, …etc.) that may have novel mechanisms of action affecting cellular health and regeneration, the aging process itself, or may …

Gucy2c Lysosomotropic Endocytosis Delivers Immunotoxin Therapy To Metastatic Colorectal Cancer., Glen P Marszalowicz, Adam E. Snook, Michael Sullivan Magee, Dante Merlino, Lisa D Berman-Booty, Scott A Waldman

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

The emergence of targeted cancer therapy has been limited by the paucity of determinants which are tumor-specific and generally associated with disease, and have cell dynamics which effectively deploy cytotoxic payloads. Guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C) may be ideal for targeting because it is normally expressed only in insulated barrier compartments, including intestine and brain, but over-expressed by systemic metastatic colorectal tumors. Here, we reveal that GUCY2C rapidly internalizes from the cell surface to lysosomes in intestinal and colorectal cancer cells. Endocytosis is independent of ligand binding and receptor activation, and is mediated by clathrin. This mechanism suggests a design for …

The P38alpha Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Limits The Cns Proinflammatory Cytokine Response To Systemic Lipopolysaccharide, Potentially Through An Il-10 Dependent Mechanism, Adam D. Bachstetter, Bin Xing, Linda J. Van Eldik

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is a well-characterized intracellular kinase involved in the overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines from glia. As such, p38α appears to be a promising therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases associated with neuroinflammation. However, the in vivo role of p38α in cytokine production in the CNS is poorly defined, and prior work suggests that p38α may be affecting a yet to be identified negative feedback mechanism that limits the acute, injury-induced proinflammatory cytokine surge in the CNS.

METHODS: To attempt to define this negative feedback mechanism, we used two in vitro and two in vivo models …

Successful Mdr-Tb Treatment Regimens Including Amikacin Are Associated With High Rates Of Hearing Loss, Chawangwa Modongo, Rafal S. Sobota, Boikobo Kesenogile, Ronald Ncube

Dartmouth Scholarship

Aminoglycosides are a critical component of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment but data on their efficacy and adverse effects in Botswana is scarce. We determined the effect of amikacin on treatment outcomes and development of hearing loss in MDR-TB patients. Patients started on MDR-TB treatment between 2006 and 2012 were included. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the effect of amikacin on treatment outcomes and development of hearing loss.

Tp53 Mutations Detected In Circulating Tumor Cells Present In The Blood Of Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients., Sandra V Fernandez, Catherine Bingham, Patricia Fittipaldi, Laura Austin, Juan P. Palazzo, Gary Palmer, Katherine Alpaugh, Massimo Cristofanilli

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells shed from either primary tumors or its metastases that circulate in the peripheral blood of patients with metastatic cancers. The molecular characterization of the CTCs is critical to identifying the key drivers of cancer metastasis and devising therapeutic approaches. However, the molecular characterization of CTCs is difficult to achieve because their isolation is a major technological challenge.

METHODS: CTCs from two triple negative breast cancer patients were enriched using CellSearch and single cells selected by DEPArray™. A TP53 R110 fs*13 mutation identified by next generation sequencing in the breast and chest skin …

Curcumin-Induced Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression Prevents H2o2-Induced Cell Death In Wild Type And Heme Oxygenase-2 Knockout Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells., Niels A J Cremers, Ditte M S Lundvig, Stephanie C M Van Dalen, Rik F Schelbergen, Peter L E M Van Lent, Walter A Szarek, Raymond F. Regan, Carine E Carels, Frank A D T G Wagener

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) administration is a promising adjuvant therapy to treat tissue injury. However, MSC survival after administration is often hampered by oxidative stress at the site of injury. Heme oxygenase (HO) generates the cytoprotective effector molecules biliverdin/bilirubin, carbon monoxide (CO) and iron/ferritin by breaking down heme. Since HO-activity mediates anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative effects, we hypothesized that modulation of the HO-system affects MSC survival. Adipose-derived MSCs (ASCs) from wild type (WT) and HO-2 knockout (KO) mice were isolated and characterized with respect to ASC marker expression. In order to analyze potential modulatory effects of the HO-system on ASC …

Sports Related Traumatic Brain Injuries, Ky Parrott

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are the leading cause of long-term disability and injury death in the United States of America (Dash, Oh, Santiago, & Wade, 2012, p. 108). It is estimated that approximately 75% of all TBI’s are sports related. Recently, sports related TBI’s have received increased awareness due to the $765 million settlement between 18,000 retired football players who suffer from long-term concussive injuries and the National Football Association (NFL) (Mason, 2013, p. 267). Education regarding the pathophysiology of TBI’s is beneficial to understanding what changes the brain is enduring and why it is important to protect the brain, …

Tension Pneumocephalus, Nicole Liebner

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Pneumocephalus is defined as the presence of air within the cranial vault; tension pneumocephalus occurs when air within the cranial vault becomes trapped and causes a mass effect or increased pressure, damaging the brain (Patel, Idicula, Carrau, & Prevedello, 2013). Small amounts of air within the cranial vault can be reabsorbed or metabolized by the body over a few days without causing symptoms, however, in tension pneumocephalus the air cannot escape, causing extensive neurological symptoms (Webber-Jones ,2005). Thus, asymptomatic pneumocephalus can be a common finding following a cranial surgery, where as tension pneumocephalus is extremely rare (Webber-Jones, 2005). Markam (1967) …

Systematic Review Of Potential Health Risks Posed By Pharmaceutical, Occupational And Consumer Exposures To Metallic And Nanoscale Aluminum, Aluminum Oxides, Aluminum Hydroxide And Its Soluble Salts, Calvin C. Willhite, Nataliya A. Karyakina, Robert A. Yokel, Nagarajkumar Yenugadhati, Thomas M. Wisniewski, Ian M. F. Arnold, Franco Momoli, Daniel Krewski

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Aluminum (Al) is a ubiquitous substance encountered both naturally (as the third most abundant element) and intentionally (used in water, foods, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines); it is also present in ambient and occupational airborne particulates. Existing data underscore the importance of Al physical and chemical forms in relation to its uptake, accumulation, and systemic bioavailability. The present review represents a systematic examination of the peer-reviewed literature on the adverse health effects of Al materials published since a previous critical evaluation compiled by Krewski et al. (2007).

Challenges encountered in carrying out the present review reflected the experimental use of different physical …

Detection Of Bacterial Antigens And Alzheimer's Disease-Like Pathology In The Central Nervous System Of Balb/C Mice Following Intranasal Infection With A Laboratory Isolate Of Chlamydia Pneumoniae, C. Scott Little Phd, Timothy A. Joyce, Christine Hammond, Hazem Matta, David Cahn, Denah Appelt, Brian J. Balin Phd

PCOM Scholarly Works

Pathology consistent with that observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has previously been documented following intranasal infection of normal wild-type mice with Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) isolated from an AD brain (96-41). In the current study, BALB/c mice were intranasally infected with a laboratory strain of Cpn, AR-39, and brain and olfactory bulbs were obtained at 1-4 months post-infection (pi). Immunohistochemistry for amyloid beta or Cpn antigens was performed on sections from brains of infected or mock-infected mice. Chlamydia-specific immunolabeling was identified in olfactory bulb tissues and in cerebrum of AR-39 infected mice. The Cpn specific labeling was most prominent at 1 …

Effect Of Electrocautery On Endothelial Integrity Of The Internal Thoracic Artery: Ultrastructural Analysis With Transmission Electron Microscopy, Burak Onan, Mehmet Yeniterzi, Ismihan Selen Onan, Burak Ersoy, Suheyla Gonca, Elif Gelenli, Seyhun Solakoglu, Ihsan Bakir

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The internal thoracic artery (ITA) is typically harvested from the chest wall by means of conventional electrocautery. We investigated the effects of electrocautery on endothelial-cell and vessel-wall morphology at the ultrastructural level during ITA harvesting. Internal thoracic artery specimens from 20 patients who underwent elective coronary artery bypass grafting were investigated in 2 groups. The ITA grafts were sharply dissected with use of a scalpel and clips in the control group (n=10) and were harvested by means of electrocautery in the study group (n=10). Each sample was evaluated for intimal, elastic-tissue, muscular-layer, and adventitial changes. Free flow was measured intraoperatively. …

Subgroups Of Cancer Patients With Unique Pain And Fatigue Experiences During Chemotherapy, Heeju Kim, Patrick S. Malone, Andrea M. Barsevick

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Context. Some cancer patients experience pain and fatigue, whereas others experience only one of the two symptoms. Yet, it is not clear who experiences these unique patterns and why.

Objectives. This study aimed to identify subgroups of cancer patients with unique pain and fatigue experiences in two different chemotherapy cycles to examine how selected factors influenced subgroup membership and identify how subgroups differed in concurrently measured functional limitation outcome.

Methods. The sample included 276 patients with diverse cancer types from four U.S. sites. To investigate subgroups, latent profile analyses were performed. Multinomial logistic regression and one-way analysis of variance-type analyses …

Identification And Characterization Of Protein Kinase C Substrates In Human Breast Cells, Xin Zhao

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Aberrations in PKC signaling can lead to the development of multiple human diseases and the most prominent association of PKC with disease has been in tumor growth and metastasis. PKC and its related pathways have been recognized as promising targets for blocking the malignancy of breast cancer cells. To better understand PKC-mediated pathway in breast cancer cells, it is important to identify the cellular substrates of PKC. The main focus of this work is to identify physiologically relevant cellular substrates of PKC in human breast cells and to characterize their roles in cancer-related phenotypes. The work to be described consists …