Digital Commons Network^™

Literature Review On Drosophila Research In Parkinson’S Disease, Maryann Jaquith

Honors Projects

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases. It is characterized by its main symptom of a tremor that usually starts in one limb. The four cardinal symptoms of PD are tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability. While the four cardinal symptoms are all motor symptoms there are non-motor symptoms for PD which include cognitive changes, sleeping disorders, lightheadedness, early satiety, and mood disorders. PD is characterized by dopaminergic (DA) neuron loss and the accumulation of Lewy bodies (LB) which are predominantly composed of α-synuclein (α-Syn) protein.

α-Syn is a protein found abundantly in the brain. It …

Survey Of Airflow Around A Heated Manikin As A Simulated Aeromedical Evacuation Patient On A Litter With Computational Fluid Dynamics Models, George P. Lemmer

Theses and Dissertations

Aeromedical Evacuations remain the predominant method used to transport patients from forward deployed areas of operations to secure locations with more robust medical infrastructure. Transportation of chemical warfare casualties and infectious patients require additional attention to prevent cross contamination. Specific airflow characteristics paired with environmental control system settings are a gap in scholarly literature. Based on the available literature computational fluid dynamics models were created to simulate the airflow around a patient represented by human geometry using commercially available software. In order to compare simulated and experimental results a heated manikin was placed in the MURPHEE aerosol exposure chamber and …

Disease Modification Trials In Parkinsons Disease: A Review, Ramla Nayaib Hashmi, Ummul Kiram

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Among the common neurological disorders worldwide, Parkinson’s disease has a major share. Currently, only symptomatic therapies are available for it without any approved neuromodulation drugs as all the previously done disease modification trials have failed. There is a dire need for such therapies. Disease modification trials include all types of intervention targeting the degeneration process which underlies the disease process and thus slows it down or the treatment aim to regenerate or replace the neurons which are lost. There are many reasons for the failure of trials. This review emphasize the need for disease modification trials, causes of failure of …

Prognostic Factors In Patients With Salivary Gland Malignancy: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Moghira Iqbaluddin Siddiqui, Haissan Iftikhar, Umar Farooq Bhatti, Mubasher Ikram

Section of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery

Our objective was to determine the factors affecting the prognosis in patients with major salivary gland malignancy presenting to Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi. Retrospective cohort study was carried out at our center on patients diagnosed and treated for salivary gland cancers. Presentation and treatment offered was reviewed from medical charts. Telephonic interviews were conducted to assess the survival of patients who were lost to follow-up. Log rank test was used to compare the mean survival times. A total of 36 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 45.1 +/- 14.6 years. Majority were male 21 …

Letter: Thrombotic Neurovascular Disease In Covid-19 Patients., Ahmad Sweid, Batoul Hammoud, Joshua H. Weinberg, Mazen Oneissi, Eytan Raz, Maksim Shapiro, Maureen Deprince, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, Michael R. Gooch, Nabeel A. Herial, Hekmat Zarzour, Victor Romo, Robert Rosenwasswer, Pascal Jabbour

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Although the respiratory system is the primary target of the coronavirus, studies have demonstrated a strong tropism to the central nervous system (CNS).^1,2 The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects cells by binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. This receptor is also found in the CNS and plays a crucial role in autoregulating cerebral perfusion pressure.^3,4 Additionally, epidemiological data demonstrated increased mortality due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases during flu pandemics due to a hypercoagulable state.^5,6 The triad of neuroinvasion of SARS-CoV-2, induction of hypercoagulable state,^{5-9 …}

Quantification Of Lactoyl-Coa (Lactyl-Coa) By Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry In Mammalian Cells And Tissues., Erika L Varner, Sophie Trefely, David Bartee, Eliana Von Krusenstiern, Luke Izzo, Carmen Bekeova, Roddy S O'Connor, Erin L Seifert, Kathryn E Wellen, Jordan L Meier, Nathaniel W Snyder

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Lysine lactoylation is a recently described protein post-translational modification (PTM). However, the biochemical pathways responsible for this acylation remain unclear. Two metabolite-dependent mechanisms have been proposed: enzymatic histone lysine lactoylation derived from lactoyl-coenzyme A (lactoyl-CoA, also termed lactyl-CoA), and non-enzymatic lysine lactoylation resulting from acyl-transfer via lactoyl-glutathione. While the former has precedent in the form of enzyme-catalysed lysine acylation, the lactoyl-CoA metabolite has not been previously quantified in mammalian systems. Here, we use liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) together with a synthetic standard to detect and validate the presence of lactoyl-CoA in cell and tissue samples. Conducting a retrospective analysis …

Neoantigen-Specific Cd4(+) T-Cell Response Is Critical For The Therapeutic Efficacy Of Cryo-Thermal Therapy, Peng Peng, Hong-Ming Hu, Ping Liu, Lisa X Xu

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: Traditional tumor thermal ablations, such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and cryoablation, can result in good local control of tumor, but traditional tumor thermal ablations are limited by poor long-term survival due to the failure of control of distal metastasis. Our previous studies developed a novel cryo-thermal therapy to treat the B16F10 melanoma mouse model. Long-term survival and T-cell-mediated durable antitumor immunity were achieved after cryo-thermal therapy, but whether tumor antigen-specific T-cells were augmented by cryo-thermal therapy was not determined.

Methods: The long-term antitumor therapeutic efficacy of cryo-thermal therapy was performed in B16F10 murine melanoma models. Splenocytes derived from mice …

Splicing Of The Cake Can Affect The Severity Of Epidermolysis Bullosa, D Murrell, Jouni Uitto

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Microrna-497-Targeting Akt2 Influences Tumor Growth And Chemoresistance To Cisplatin In Lung Cancer., Lin Wang, Xiang-Bo Ji, Li-Hong Wang, Jian-Ge Qiu, Feng-Mei Zhou, Wen-Jing Liu, Di-Di Wan, Marie Chai-Mi Lin, Ling-Zhi Liu, Jian-Ying Zhang, Bing-Hua Jiang

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Background: MicroRNA-497 (miR-497) has been implicated in several cancers. Increasing studies demonstrate the role of AKT2 in cancers as an oncogene which is closely associated with tumor aggressiveness by enhancing cancer cell survival, migration and invasion However, miR-497/AKT2 axis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear.

Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to quantify the expression of miR-497 and its target gene. The function of miR-497 in lung cancer was investigated through in vitro and in vivo assays (cell proliferation assay, cell migration assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry assay, immunoblotting and tumorigenesis assay). Luciferase reporter assay was …

Blood-Brain Barrier: Mechanisms Governing Permeability And Interaction With Peripherally Acting Μ-Opioid Receptor Antagonists., Eugene R. Viscusi, Andrew R Viscusi

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) describes the unique properties of endothelial cells (ECs) that line the central nervous system (CNS) microvasculature. The BBB supports CNS homeostasis via EC-associated transport of ions, nutrients, proteins and waste products between the brain and blood. These transport mechanisms also serve as physiological barriers to pathogens, toxins and xenobiotics to prevent them from contacting neural tissue. The mechanisms that govern BBB permeability pose a challenge to drug design for CNS disorders, including pain, but can be exploited to limit the effects of a drug to the periphery, as in the design of the peripherally acting μ-opioid …

Mtor-Initiated Metabolic Switch And Degeneration In The Retinal Pigment Epithelium, Christopher Litwin, Rui Chen, Theodore G Wensel, Dean P Jones, Jiyang Cai, Yan Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a particularly vulnerable tissue to age-dependent degeneration. Over the life span, the RPE develops an expanded endo-lysosomal compartment to maintain the high efficiency of phagocytosis and degradation of photoreceptor outer segments (POS) necessary for photoreceptor survival. As the assembly and activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) occur on the lysosome surface, increased lysosome mass with aging leads to higher mTORC1 activity. The functional consequences of hyperactive mTORC1 in the RPE are unclear. In the current study, we used integrated high-resolution metabolomic and genomic approaches to examine mice with RPE-specific deletion …

Characterization Of Retinal Biomechanical Properties Using Brillouin Microscopy, Elda M Rueda, Benjamin M Hall, Ross A Poché, Kirill V Larin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

SIGNIFICANCE: The retina is critical for vision, and several diseases may alter its biomechanical properties. However, assessing the biomechanical properties of the retina nondestructively is a challenge due to its fragile nature and location within the eye globe. Advancements in Brillouin spectroscopy have provided the means for nondestructive investigations of retina biomechanical properties.

AIM: We assessed the biomechanical properties of mouse retinas using Brillouin microscopy noninvasively and showed the potential of Brillouin microscopy to differentiate the type and layers of retinas based on stiffness.

APPROACH: We used Brillouin microscopy to quantify stiffness of fresh and paraformaldehyde (PFA)-fixed retinas. As further …

Integrating Affect Perception Tasks From The New York Emotion Battery Into A Comprehensive Measure Of Neuropsychological Change Across The Lifespan, Melinda A. Cornwell

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: The ability to perceive others’ emotions is a vital skill for social competency, impacting the success of personal and professional relationships (Brinton & Fujiki, 2011; Cassidy et al., 1992; Côté & Miners, 2006). According to Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST; Carstensen, 1991), human motivation develops to become more discerning in choosing milieus that yield the most gratifying return on the investment of personal resources (e.g., time, attention, and effort), perhaps explaining why some research findings indicate that older adults may demonstrate an affect perception (AP) bias described as a positivity effect (Reed et al., 2014). Moreover, AP predicts cognitive and …

The Effects Of Music Medicine On Reducing Distress, Anxiety, And Pain During Bone Marrow Biopsy Procedures, Betsy Hartman, Sharon Mast, Judy Delismon

View All

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Health Care Seeking Behaviors In Puerperal Sepsis In Rural Sindh, Pakistan: A Qualitative Study, Shabina Ariff, Fatima Mir, Farhana Tabassum, Farrukh Raza, Atif Habib, Ali Turab, Amnesty Lefevre, Linda A. Bartlett, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Puerperal sepsis (PS) is one of the major causes of maternal death, contributing to 26,000 deaths per year in developing countries. Early recognition and treatment are essential to managing PS, but numerous social, cultural and technical barriers prevent or delay access to care and necessary medical attention. Through this qualitative study, we identified barriers to care seeking for puerperal sepsis among recently delivered women in Matiari, Pakistan.
Methods: We conducted 20 in-depth interviews among recently delivered women with and without sepsis and their family members in September 2012. Key informant interviews were conducted with 14 healthcare providers and traditional …

Long Noncoding Rna H19x Is A Key Mediator Of Tgf-Β-Driven Fibrosi, Florian Renoux, Fina Kurreeman, Jeska De Vries-Bouwstra, Tobias Messemaker, Carol A Feghali-Bostwick, Gerhard Rogler, Wouter T Van Haaften, Gerard Dijkstra, Fiona Oakley, Maurizio Calcagni, Janine Schniering, Britta Maurer, Jörg Hw Distler, Gabriela Kania, Mojca Frank-Bertoncelj, Oliver Distler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

TGF-β is a master regulator of fibrosis, driving the differentiation of fibroblasts into apoptosis-resistant myofibroblasts and sustaining the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Here, we identified the nuclear long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) H19X as a master regulator of TGF-β-driven tissue fibrosis. H19X was consistently upregulated in a wide variety of human fibrotic tissues and diseases and was strongly induced by TGF-β, particularly in fibroblasts and fibroblast-related cells. Functional experiments following H19X silencing revealed that H19X was an obligatory factor for TGF-β-induced ECM synthesis as well as differentiation and survival of ECM-producing myofibroblasts. We showed that H19X regulates DDIT4L gene …

Guidance For Contemporary Use Of Biologics In Management Of Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps: Discussion From A National Institutes Of Health-Sponsored Workshop, Anju T Peters, Elina Toskala, David W Kennedy, Amber U Luong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Biologic medications are emerging as options for treating chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Several questions remain regarding patient selection, indications, clinical efficacy, and cost effectiveness.

METHODS: In November 2019, a group of physicians and scientists gathered to consider strategies for future studies regarding biologics. During the discussion, gaps in knowledge highlighted a need for a consensus on the present day use of biologics in polyp patients.

RESULTS: The goal of this guideline is to propose recommendations for the current use of biologics in CRSwNP as new evidence continues to emerge and inform practice.

CONCLUSION: We suggest that physicians …

Loss Of Uncoupling Protein 3 Attenuates Western Diet-Induced Obesity, Systemic Inflammation, And Insulin Resistance In Rats

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is a mitochondrial carrier related to fatty acid metabolism. Although gene variants of UCP3 are associated with human obesity, their contribution to increased adiposity remains unclear. This study investigated the impact that loss of UCP3 has on diet-induced obesity in rats.

METHODS: Male UCP3 knockout rats (ucp3

RESULTS: Loss of UCP3 decreased fat mass gain, white adipocytes size, and systemic inflammation. The ucp3

CONCLUSIONS: Loss of UCP3 partially protects rats from diet-induced obesity. This phenotype is related to induction of a compensatory antioxidant mechanism and prevention of iBAT whitening.

Yttrium-90 Selective Internal Radiotherapy As Bridge To Curative Hepatectomy For Recurrent Malignant Solid Pseudopapillary Neoplasm Of Pancreas: Case Report And Review Of Literature, Piyush Kumar Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recurrent malignant solid pseudopapillary neoplasms of the pancreas (SPNP) are rare tumors with unpredictable clinical and histopathological features. There is a lack of consensus regarding utilization of adjuvant modalities in conjunction with or in lieu of curative metastatectomy. We present a remarkable case where Yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy (Y-90 SIRT) was successfully utilized to elucidate underlying tumor biology and aid resection of a large multifocal recurrent metastatic SPNP in the right hemi-liver of a 59-year-old female. Thus, in cases where curative metastatectomy remains the treatment goal in management of recurrent and/or metastatic SPNPs, Y-90 SIRT is a safe and …

Resistance Exercise Intensity Does Not Influence Neurotrophic Factors Response In Equated Volume Schemes, Leandro Lodo, Alexandre Moreira, Reury Frank P Bacurau, Carol D. Capitani, Wesley P. Barbosa, Marcelo Massa, Brad J. Schoenfeld, Marcelo S. Aoki

Publications and Research

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of 2 different intensities of resistance training (RT) bouts, performed with the equated total load lifted (TLL), on the acute responses of neurotrophic factors (NFs) (brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF]; and nerve growth factor [NGF]), as well as on metabolic (lactate concentration) and hormonal (salivary cortisol concentration) responses. Thirty participants (males, 22.8 ± 2.3 years old, 177 ± 6.8 cm, 75.5 ± 7.9 kg, n = 15; and females, 22.2 ± 1.7 years, 163.7 ± 6.5 cm, 57 ± 7.6 kg, n = 15) performed 2 separate acute RT bouts …

Comparison Of Longitudinal Changes In Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Between Alzheimer’S And Healthy Controls, Berk Can Yilmaz

Theses

Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI) is a technique that is widely used for analyzing brain function using different approaches and methods. This study involves rs-fMRI analysis of Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signals acquired from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) Patients and Healthy Controls (HC). Each subject in the study had both functional and anatomical images with at least one rs-fMRI scan with their Anatomical (T1) scans. Previous rs-fMRI studies have demonstrated that AD shows differences in Amplitude of Low Frequency (<0.1 Hz) Fluctuations (ALFF), and Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) measures according to HCs.

The aim of the study is to investigate individual and group level differences using ReHo and mALFF related …

Hypusination Of Eif5a Regulates Cytoplasmic Tdp-43 Aggregation And Accumulation In A Stress-Induced Cellular Model, Shayna Smeltzer, Zainuddin Quadri, Abraian Miller, Frank Zamudio, Jordan Hunter, Nicholas J.F. Stewart, Sheba Saji, Daniel C. Lee, Dale Chaput, Maj-Linda B. Selenica

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a nuclear RNA/DNA binding protein involved in mRNA metabolism. Aberrant mislocalization to the cytoplasm and formation of phosphorylated/aggregated TDP-43 inclusions remains the hallmark pathology in a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal disorders and Alzheimer's disease. Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 5A undergoes a unique post-translation modification of lysine to hypusine (K50), which determines eIF5A binding partners. We used a sodium arsenite-induced cellular stress model to investigate the role of hypusinated eIF5A (eIF5A^HypK50) in governing TDP-43 cytoplasmic mislocalization and accumulation in stress granule. Our proteomics and functional data provide evidence that eIF5A interacts …

Effect Of Maternal Retinol Status At Time Of Term Delivery On Retinol Placental Concentration, Intrauterine Transfer Rate, And Newborn Retinol Status, Melissa K. Thoene, Haley Haskett, Jeremy Furtado, Maranda Thompson, Matthew Van Ormer, Corrine K. Hanson, Ann Anderson-Berry

Journal Articles: Pediatrics

Retinol (vitamin A) is essential, so the objective of this Institutional Review Board approved study is to evaluate retinol placental concentration, intrauterine transfer, and neonatal status at time of term delivery between cases of maternal retinol adequacy, insufficiency, and deficiency in a United States population. Birth information and biological samples were collected for mother-infant dyads (n = 260). Maternal and umbilical cord blood retinol concentrations (n = 260) were analyzed by HPLC and categorized: deficient (≤0.7 umol/L), insufficient (>0.7-1.05 umol/L), adequate (>1.05 umol/L). Intrauterine transfer rate was calculated: (umbilical cord blood retinol concentration/maternal retinol concentration) × …

Peripubertal Serum Concentrations Of Organochlorine Pesticides And Semen Parameters In Russian Young Men., Ramy Abou Ghayda, Oleg Sergeyev, Jane S Burns, Paige L Williams, Mary M Lee, Susan A Korrick, Luidmila Smigulina, Yury Dikov, Russ Hauser, Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic literature on the relation of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) with semen quality among adult men has been inconclusive, and no studies have prospectively explored the association between peripubertal serum OCPs and semen parameters in young men.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate prospective associations of peripubertal serum concentrations of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocylohexane (β-HCH), and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) with semen parameters among young Russian men.

METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 152 young men who enrolled in the Russian Children's Study (2003-2005) at age 8-9 years and were followed annually until young adulthood. HCB, β-HCH, and p,p'-DDE concentrations were measured at the CDC by …

Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Virulence Potentials Of Helicobacter Pylori Strain Ke21 Isolated From A Kenyan Patient With Gastric Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma, Catherine Mwangi, Stephen Njoroge, Evariste Tshibangu-Kabamba, Zahir Moloo, Allan Rajula, Smita Devani, Takashi Matsumoto, Kimang’A Nyerere, Samuel Kariuki, Gunturu Revathi, Yoshio Yamaoka

Pathology, East Africa

Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection is etiologically associated with severe diseases including gastric cancer; but its pathogenicity is deeply shaped by the exceptional genomic diversification and geographic variation of the species. The clinical relevance of strains colonizing Africa is still debated. This study aimed to explore genomic features and virulence potentials of H. pylori KE21, a typical African strain isolated from a native Kenyan patient diagnosed with a gastric cancer. A high-quality circular genome assembly of 1,648,327 bp (1590 genes) obtained as a hybrid of Illumina Miseq short reads and Oxford Nanopore MinION long reads, clustered within hpAfrica1 population. This genome …

A Novel Methodology To Identify The Primary Topics Contained Within The Covid-19 Research Corpus, Allen Crane, Brock Freidrich, William Fehlman, Igor Frolow, Daniel W. Engels

SMU Data Science Review

In this paper, we present a novel framework and system for the identification of primary research topics from within a corpus of related publications, the classification of individual publications according to these topics, and the results of the application of our framework and system to the COVID-19 Open Research Dataset (CORD-19). CORD-19 is a corpus of published peer reviewed and pre-peer reviewed articles related to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Using machine learning techniques, such as Non-negative Matrix Factorization for Natural Language Processing and a Bayesian classifier, we developed a novel framework and system that automatically extracts sparse and meaningful …

Which Sample Type Is Better For Xpert Mtb/Rif To Diagnose Adult And Pediatric Pulmonary Tuberculosis?, Mengyuan Lyu, Jian Zhou, Yuhui Cheng, Weelic Chong, Kang Wu, Teng Fang, Tianbo Fu, Binwu Ying

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: This review aimed to identify proper respiratory-related sample types for adult and pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), respectively, by comparing performance of Xpert MTB/RIF when using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), induced sputum (IS), expectorated sputum (ES), nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs), and gastric aspiration (GA) as sample.

METHODS: Articles were searched in Web of Science, PubMed, and Ovid from inception up to 29 June 2020. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated, each with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Quality assessment and heterogeneity evaluation across included studies were performed.

RESULTS: A total of 50 articles were included. The respective sensitivity and specificity were 87% …

The Slc25a42 Transcript Is A Biomarker For Fetal Reprogramming In Response To Placental Insufficiency In Preterm Newborns Under 32 Weeks Gestation-A Pilot Study., Fu-Sheng Chou, Pei-Shan Wang

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Introduction: Timing of medical delivery of preterm newborns exposed to placental insufficiency is largely determined by umbilical artery blood flow and maternal clinical manifestations. There is a lack of tools to properly assess fetal body response to placental insufficiency before or upon delivery. Yet, short- and long-term comorbidities associated with placental insufficiency and the consequential intrauterine growth restriction may be a result of fetal response following prolonged stress. This study aims to establish a procedure to investigate fetal/neonatal transcriptional response to placental insufficiency as part of an initiative to identify cost-effective biomarkers for assessing fetal response to placental insufficiency.

Methods: …

High Burden Of Self-Reported Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Key Populations In Mozambique: The Urgent Need For An Integrated Surveillance System, Makini A. S. Boothe, Charlotte Comé, Cynthia Semá Baltazar, Noela Chicuecue, Jessica Seleme, Denise Chitsondzo Langa, Isabel Sathane, Henry F. Raymond, Erika Fazito, Marleen Temmerman, Stanley Luchters

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Key populations - men who have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers (FSW) and people who inject drugs (PWID) - are at high risk for sexually transmitted infections (STI) given their sexual risk behaviours along with social, legal and structural barriers to prevention, care and treatment services. The purpose of this secondary analysis is to assess the prevalence of self-reported STIs and to describe associated risk factors among participations of the first Biological Behavioural Surveillance (BBS) in Mozambique.

Methods: Responses from the first BBS surveys conducted in 2011-2014 were aggregated across survey-cities to produce pooled estimates …

Igf-1r Inhibition Induces Mek Phosphorylation To Promote Survival In Colon Carcinomas, Qing Wang, Yan Zhang, Jiang Zhu, Honggang Zheng, Shuntai Chen, Li Chen, Hsin-Sheng Yang

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

The insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) governs several signaling pathways for cell proliferation, survival, and anti-apoptosis. Thus, targeting IGF-1R appears as a reasonable rationale for tumor treatment. However, clinical studies showed that inhibition of IGF-1R has very limited efficacy due to the development of resistance to IGF-1R blockade in tumor cells. Here, we discovered that prolonged treatment of colon cancer cells with IGF-1R inhibitors (BMS-754807 and GSK1838705A) stimulates p70 KDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (p70S6K1) activation, a well-known kinase signaling for cell survival. We also found that p70S6K1 activation by IGF-1R inhibition is independent of K-Ras and PIK3CA …