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Observed And Expected Incidence Of Cervical Cancer In Lusaka And The Southern And Western Provinces Of Zambia, 2007 - 2012, Mulele Kalima, Kennedy Lishimpi, Jane L. Meza, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, Susan C. Msadabwe, Catherine K. Mwaba, Aaron L. Shibemba, Lewis Banda, Charles Wood, Robert M. Chamberlain, Amr S. Soliman

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Objectives—Cervical cancer is increasing but underestimated in developing countries. We calculated the observed and expected incidence of cervical cancer in Lusaka and Southern and Western provinces of Zambia.

Methods/Materials—Data for 2007-2012 was obtained for the 3 provinces. Data included age, residence, year of diagnosis, marital status, occupation, HIV, stage, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Expected incidence in Southern and Western provinces was calculated based on observed incidence for Lusaka province, adjusting for HIV.

Results—Crude and age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) in Lusaka were 2-4 times higher than incidence in the other 2 provinces. Lusaka had a rate of 54.1/10⁵ and ASR of …

Crf07_Bc Strain Dominates The Hiv-1 Epidemic In Injection Drug Users In Liangshan Prefecture Of Sichuan, China, Lin Li, Daying Wei, Wan-Ling Hsu, Tianyi Li, Tao Gui, Charles Wood, Yongjian Liu, Hanping Li, Zuoyi Bao, Siyang Liu, Xiaolin Wang, Jingyun Li

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The Liangshan prefecture in Sichuan province is an area in China severely affected by the HIV epidemic, with intravenous drug use (IDU) as the main risk factor. No reports on HIV subtypes prevalent in IDUs in Liangshan prefecture could be found. In this study, we have characterized the genotypes of HIV-1 in the IDU population in Liangshan prefecture and further determined the phylogenetic relationship of the CRF07_BC strains to HIV-1 sequences from the other regions of China, including Xinjiang and Yunnan provinces, to explore the pattern and possible diffusion pathway of HIV-1 in these regions. HIV-1-seropositive drug-naive IDUs identified in …

Pathogen Reduction Technology In Transfusion: Where Do We Stand?, Mohammad Khurshid, Bushra Moiz

Section of Haematology/Oncology

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Disability: A Comparative Approach To Medical Resource Allocation In Public Health Emergencies, Katie Hanschke, Leslie E. Wolf, Wendy F. Hensel

Faculty Publications By Year

It is a matter of time before the next widespread pandemic or natural disaster hits the United States (U.S.). The international response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza stands as a cautionary tale about how prepared the world is for such an emergency. Although the pandemic fortunately proved to be less severe than initially anticipated, it nevertheless resulted in shortages of medical equipment, overburdened hospitals, and preventable patient deaths, particularly among young people.

A pandemic will inevitably lead to difficult decisions about the allocation of medical resources, such as who will have priority access to ventilators and critical care beds when …

Impact Of Withholding Breastfeeding At The Time Of Vaccination On The Immunogenicity Of Oral Rotavirus Vaccine--A Randomized Trial, Asad Ali, Abdul Momin Kazi, Margaret M. Cortese, Jessica A. Fleming, Sungsil Moon, Umesh D. Parashar, Baoming Jiang, Monica M. Mcneal, Duncan Steele, Zulfiqar Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Breast milk contains anti-rotavirus IgA antibodies and other innate immune factors that inhibit rotavirus replication in vitro. These factors could diminish the immunogenicity of oral rotavirus vaccines, particularly if breastfeeding occurs close to the time of vaccine administration.
Methods: Between April 2011 and November 2012, we conducted an open label, randomized trial to compare the immunogenicity of Rotarix (RV1) in infants whose breastfeeding was withheld one hour before through one hour after vaccination with that in infants breastfed at the time of vaccination. The trial was conducted in the peri-urban area of Ibrahim Hyderi in Karachi, Pakistan. Both groups …

Clinical Isolates Of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Agona Producing Ndm-1 Metallo-Beta-Lactamase: First Report From Pakistan, Seema Irfan, Erum Khan, Kauser Jabeen, Pushpa Bhawan, Katie L. Hopkins, Martin Day, Amna Nasir, Daniele Meunier, Neil Woodford

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

We report two cases of infantile diarrhea due to multidrug-resistant, NDM-1 metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Salmonella enterica serovar Agona from Pakistan. This study alerts toward possible risk of NDM-1 transmission to enteric fever pathogens and encourages microbiologists to consider active screening of carbapenem resistance in nontyphoidal Salmonella isolates.

African American Grandparents Residing In A Nursing Facility: Perceptions Of Influence With Their Grandchildren, Family, And Community, Monica Bester

Wayne State University Theses

African American older adults have historically been identified as vital members of the African American family and community (Hill, 1972; Cox, 2002; Waites, 2008). Unfortunately, research has shown an increasing number of older African Americans are being admitted into nursing facilities (Paul, 2004; Feng et al., 2011). Between the years of 1998-2008, it was projected African Americans living in nursing homes increased by 10.8% (Feng et al., 2011).

This study explores the intergenerational relationships of older African American adults with their grandchildren, family, and community through the lens of Intergenerational Family Systems Theory. By viewing this qualitative study through the …

Rna-Binding Protein Celf1 Controls Marcks Mra Translation In Oral Cancer Cells, Mehul Z. Patel

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Post-transcriptional gene regulation plays an important role in controlling gene expression patterns in mammalian cells. CUG-binding and Embryonic Lethal vision-type RNA-binding protein 3 (ETR)-like Factor (CELF1), also known as CUGBP1, is a RNA-binding protein involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation through nuclear (alternative splicing) and cytoplasmic (mRNA turnover and translation) mRNA processing events. Primarily, CELF1 is known for its contribution to the development of myotonic dystrophy (DM1). But, published observations from our laboratory and others determined that CELF1 is overexpressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) as well as multiple other cancers. Unpublished proteomic pulsed-stable isotope labeling by amino …

Detection Of The Dietary Xenoglycan N-Glycolylneuraminic Acid (Neu5gc) And Anti-Neu5gc Antibodies Within Reproductive Tracts Of Male And Female Infertility Subjects, Julie M. Sroga, Diana H. Wu, Fang Ma, Eilllen Tecle, Ilana B. Ressler, Rose Maxwell, Rachael Ferrari, Leah Whigham, Pascal Gagneux, Steven Lindheim

Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Publications

Objective

To assess the frequency of dietary xenoglycanNeu5Gc and antibodies in males and females and its impact on fertility.

Design

Prospective study of semen, uterine lavage, and follicular fluid from subjects undergoing infertility evaluation or in vitro fertilization (IVF) and fertile controls.

Setting

University based infertility program.

Participants

Males (n=23) and females (n=27) undergoing semen analysis and saline infusion sonography as part of their diagnostic evaluation and 37 women undergoing IVF were compared to fertile male (n=15) and female (n=14) controls.

Intervention

Neu5Gc was measured by affinity purified antibody staining on Western blots, flow cytometry, and by high performance liquid …

Short-Term Effects On The Fetus And Long-Term Outcome On Children Exposed To Maternal Chemotherapy, Yocheved Kramer

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Ethical questions with regard to treatment arise when pregnant women are diagnosed with cancer. Does the health of the mother or the health of the fetus take priority? However, research suggests that concern over transplacental transfer should not deter those seeking treatments since avoidance of favorable transfer drugs can allow chemotherapy to be a viable option if properly administered. Doctors highly contraindicate the use of chemotherapeutic drugs in the first trimester due to high risks such as teratogenesis and fetal death. However, they reassure that treatment can be given in the final two trimesters. It presents minimal consequences as long …

Understanding The Hygiene Hypothesis And Its Mechanisms, Yaakov Tropper

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The hygiene hypothesis provides an explanation for the sharp increase in atopy over the past several decades by proposing that it is inversely related to the lack of infectious diseases in our society. Although atopy, as well as other hypersensitivity reactions, do have a genetic basis; studies clearly show that environmental and socioeconomic factors play a large role in determining which people will develop allergies. Proposed mechanisms leading to this disorder include an imbalance in the Th1/Th2 complex in the immune system, and a deficiency in Regulatory T cells which controls excessive T cell activity.

Project Spraoi: A Strategy To Improve Nutrition And Increase Physical Activity In Primary School Children, Lisa Delaney

Masters

Introduction: Paediatric obesity has become a global epidemic with many countries developing strategies to help tackle its prevalence. School based physical activity (PA) and nutrition interventions have proven to play a promising role in tackling childhood obesity.

Background: Project Spraoi is an Irish primary school based intervention. The intervention was delivered to an intervention school to help enhance PA and nutritional behaviour amongst pupils. The intervention school was assigned an ‘Energizer’; a trained PA and nutrition change agent who worked with the school to achieve the objectives. For evaluation purposes a control school was recruited.

Methodology: Pupils from the intervention …

Pitch-Count And Its Effects On Shoulder Injuries: How To Keep A Pitcher Healthy, Alexander Malek

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Baseball is currently the fourth most popular sport in high schools across the country. However, pitchers are at a high risk to develop career ending injuries. Overuse can result in SLAP tears as well as torn rotator cuff muscles that can end a dream of pitching professionally. Major League Baseball has teamed up with leading sports medicine researchers to determine safe pitch-count guidelines for pitchers of all ages. Articles were found using Touro’s e-Journal database as well as Pubmed.gov to find pertinent research on this topic. Studies on ball velocity and scapular kinematics were done on three different levels of …

Development Of A Yeast-Based Assay For The Functional Characterization Of Fkbp52/ Î?-Catenin Interactions With The Androgen Receptor, Theresa Anne Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prostate cancer development is uniquely dependent on the androgen receptorâ??s (ARâ??s) transcriptional regulation in response to hormone binding. Current therapies directly target AR acting as an antagonist at androgen binding sites. However, once androgen-dependence is lost, meaning the patient has progressed into a late-stage hormone resistant phenotype, all current treatments are essentially ineffective. Utilizing the yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae we are capable of creating a model system that allows for the exogenous expression of AR while still retaining the chaperone components needed for this steroid receptor complex. The 52kDa FK506 binding protein (FKBP52) has been shown to be an important …

Neural Function, Injury, And Stroke Subtype Predict Treatment Gains After Stroke, Erin Burke Quinlan, Lucy Dodakian, Jill See, Alison Mackenzie, Vu Le, Mike Wojnowicz, Babak Shahbaba, Steven C. Cramer

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

This study was undertaken to better understand the high variability in response seen when treating human subjects with restorative therapies poststroke. Preclinical studies suggest that neural function, neural injury, and clinical status each influence treatment gains; therefore, the current study hypothesized that a multivariate approach incorporating these 3 measures would have the greatest predictive value.

Methods

Patients 3 to 6 months poststroke underwent a battery of assessments before receiving 3 weeks of standardized upper extremity robotic therapy. Candidate predictors included measures of brain injury (including to gray and white matter), neural function (cortical function and cortical connectivity), and clinical …

Coffee: A Selected Overview Of Beneficial Or Harmful Effects On The Cardiovascular System?, Thomas F. Whayne Jr.

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

With a history that began in 800 A.D., coffee is the most popular drink known and as a result, the issues regarding its physiologic effects deserve attention. Maintaining alertness is a well-known benefit and in addition, the cardiovascular (CV) effects of the active compounds, which include polyphenols and caffeine, must be considered. Genetics are relevant and where slow caffeine metabolism is inherent, the risk of nonfatal myocardial (MI) has been shown to be increased. Overall risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) is not supported and unless there is excessive intake, congestive heart failure (CHF) is not adversely affected; in moderation, …

Part Ii - Stress And Stress Management Strategies In Adolescents, Stephanie Stockburger, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

It is well known that adolescents experience stress. In this article, sources of adolescent stress will be discussed as well as the physiological effects of stress on the body. Stress disorders will also be briefly reviewed. Mainly, research on stress management strategies that have been evaluated in adolescents will be presented. Many studies have a small number of participants and lack control groups. Therefore, there is a need for ongoing research in this important area.

Therapeutic Targeting Of Replicative Immortality, Paul Yaswen, Karen L. Mackenzie, W. Nicol Keith, Patricia Hentosh, Francis Rodier, Jiyue Zhu, Gary L. Firestone, Ander Matheu, Amancio Carnero, Alan Bilsland

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

One of the hallmarks of malignant cell populations is the ability to undergo continuous proliferation. This property allows clonal lineages to acquire sequential aberrations that can fuel increasingly autonomous growth, invasiveness, and therapeutic resistance. Innate cellular mechanisms have evolved to regulate replicative potential as a hedge against malignant progression. When activated in the absence of normal terminal differentiation cues, these mechanisms can result in a state of persistent cytostasis. This state, termed “senescence,” can be triggered by intrinsic cellular processes such as telomere dysfunction and oncogene expression, and by exogenous factors such as DNA damaging agents or oxidative environments. Despite …

Outcome And Cost Effectiveness Of Autobiographically Guided Surgical Clip Placement For Tumor Localization In Patients Undergoing Neo-Adjuvant Chemotherapy For Breast Cancer., Imrana Masroor, Sana Zeeshan, Shaista Afzal Saeed, Saira Naz, Madeeha Ali, Khabir Ahmad, Shaista Khan

Department of Surgery Docs

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

To determine the outcome and cost saving by placing ultrasound guided surgical clips for tumor localization in patientsundergoing neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This retrospective cross sectional analytical study was conducted at the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan from January to December 2014. A sample of 25 women fulfilling our selection criteria was taken. All patients came to our department for ultrasound guided core biopsy of suspicious breast lesions and clip placement in the index lesion prior to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. All the selected patients had biopsy proven breast cancer.

RESULTS: …

Mammary Glands Possess Intrinsic Molecular Laterality And Respond Left-Right Differently To Genetic And Pharmacological Manipulation, Jacqulyne Michelle Ponville-Robichaux

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Mammary Glands Possess Intrinsic Molecular Laterality and Respond Left-Right Differently to Genetic and Pharmacological Manipulation. (Under the direction of Ann Ramsdell) More tumors form in the left (L) breast and tumors in the right (R) breast may be more aggressive. These epidemiological findings suggest L-R differences in overall tumor biology depending on the side of tumor origin, leading to the hypothesis that mammary glands are L-R different and have discordant responses to neoplastic risk factors. Here we show that normal mammary glands are molecularly L-R different, and have more mammary stem cells (MaSCs) in the L thoracic mammary gland (TMG). …

Circulating Fibroblast Precursors In Soft Tissue Sarcoma Metastasis, Dayvia Laws Russell

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare, malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin that manifest in the connective tissues, including muscle, adipose and deep skin tissue, nerves, and joint tissue. Complications from primary or recurrent sarcomas often lead to increased morbidity, but the most lethal aspect of sarcomas is their propensity for hematogenous dissemination leading to metastatic disease. After development of distant metastases, the median survival for patients with STS is merely 11 to 15 months1,2. Therefore, gaining a better understanding of the metastatic environment is essential to developing new therapies. The tumor microenvironment has been implicated as an essential component for …

Clinical And Pathologic Significance Of Integrin Α6Β4 Expression In Human Malignancies, Rachel L. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations--Clinical and Translational Science

Integrins are cellular adhesion molecules that bind cells to the extracellular matrix. The integrin α6β4, a receptor for laminins, is predominantly expressed on epithelial cells where it is present at the basal surface adjacent to the basement membrane. This integrin plays a critical role in maintaining normal cellular functions, yet has also been implicated in promoting invasion and metastasis in human malignancies. While overexpression of the integrin α6β4 has been detected in select human cancers, the clinical significance of integrin α6β4 expression in a number of malignancies has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to examine integrin …

Preventative Strategies To Improve Birth Outcomes Among African American Women In Rhode Island, Yvonne Michele Heredia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite increased access to prenatal care, birth outcomes continue to be a major source of disparity among women in the United States. The focus on lifestyle choices and negative behaviors prior to a pregnancy to reduce adverse birth outcomes has become a well-documented strategy. The purpose of this study was to determine if preparing for a pregnancy in advance improves birth outcomes for African American women of childbearing age between the ages of 12 and 45 years in the State of Rhode Island (RI). The theoretical foundation for this study was based on Prochaska's model of change, which is also …

Twenty Years After International Conference On Population And Development: Where Are We With Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights?, Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, Joar Svanemyr, Avni Amin, Helga Fogstad, Lale Say, Françoise Girard, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

The International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994 laid out a bold, clear, and comprehensive definition of reproductive health and called for nations to meet the educational and service needs of adolescents to enable them to deal in a positive and responsible way with their sexuality. In the context of the ongoing review of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action and the considerations for a post-2015 development agenda, this article summarizes the findings of the articles presented in this volume and identifies key challenges and critical answers that need to be tackled in …

Twenty Years After International Conference On Population And Development: Where Are We With Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights?, Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, Joar Svanemyr, Avni Amin, Helga Fogstad, Lale Say, Françoise Girard, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

The International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994 laid out a bold, clear, and comprehensive definition of reproductive health and called for nations to meet the educational and service needs of adolescents to enable them to deal in a positive and responsible way with their sexuality. In the context of the ongoing review of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action and the considerations for a post-2015 development agenda, this article summarizes the findings of the articles presented in this volume and identifies key challenges and critical answers that need to be tackled in …

Circulating Tumor Dna To Monitor Treatment Response And Detect Acquired Resistance In Patients With Metastatic Melanoma, Elin S. Gray, Helen Rizos, Anna L. Reid, Suzanah Boyd, Michelle Pereira, Johnny Lo, Varsha Tembe, James Freeman, Jenny Lee, Richard Scolyer, Kelvin Siew, Chris Lomma, Adam Cooper, Muhammad Khattak, Tarek Meniawy, Georgina Long, Matteo Carlino, Michael Millward, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Repeat tumor biopsies to study genomic changes during therapy are difficult, invasive and data are confounded by tumoral heterogeneity. The analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can provide a non-invasive approach to assess prognosis and the genetic evolution of tumors in response to therapy. Mutation-specific droplet digital PCR was used to measure plasma concentrations of oncogenic BRAF and NRAS variants in 48 patients with advanced metastatic melanoma prior to treatment with targeted therapies (vemurafenib, dabrafenib or dabrafenib/trametinib combination) or immunotherapies (ipilimumab, nivolumab or pembrolizumab). Baseline ctDNA levels were evaluated relative to treatment response and progression-free survival (PFS). Tumor-associated ctDNA was …

The Analysis Of Diruthenium Compounds On Human Cells As Potential Chemotherapeutic Agents, Elizabeth Mcculloch

Honors Program Theses

Chemotherapy is a common method of cancer treatment, and cisplatin is a common anticancer compound used in chemotherapy. While effective, cisplatin is known to cause many side effects, and people can form resistance to it. Because of these problems, new chemotherapeutic compounds are needed. One compound that has shown anticancer properties, an ability to overcome resistance, and nontoxicity is ruthenium. Multiple mono-ruthenium compounds have been previously studied and were found to be effective. The current research project synthesized a diruthenium compound Cp₂Ru₂(bipy)₂(DMSO)₂ and exposed the compound to human liver cells (HepG2) to determine …

Analysis Of Protein Expression For Potential Biomarkers In Human Pancreatic Tumor Cell Lines, Jade Ashley Simpson

Honors Program Theses

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer of the pancreas that has been shown to have extremely low survival rates. It can be quite lethal because of its asymptomatic early stages and inability to detect cancer at the cellular level. Once diagnosed, the cancer will have usually spread or metastasized beyond surgical resection. Thus, research is focused on finding potential biomarkers in tumor cell lines to help in earlier diagnosis of this disease leading to better treatment options. Previous work using bioinformatics data suggest several cellular genes including, CTHCR1, EPPK1, AHNAK2, and IGHG3, can be potential biomarkers for pancreatic cancer. The …

Targeting The Tight Junction Protein, Zonula Occludens-1, With The Connexin 43 Mimetic Peptide, Αct-1 Reduces Vegf-Dependent Rpe Pathophysiology, Elizabeth Christa Obert

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial disease and is regarded as the predominant cause of central vision loss in the elderly in industrialized countries. A critical target tissue in AMD is the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which together with Bruch’s membrane forms the outer blood-retina barrier (BRB). RPE-barrier dysfunction in AMD might result from attenuation and disruption of intercellular tight junctions. Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) is a major structural protein of intercellular junctions. A connexin-based peptide mimetic, αCT-1 (Alpha Connexin carboxy-Terminal 1), was developed which competitively inhibits ZO-1 interaction with its binding partners. We hypothesized that targeting ZO-1 signaling using …

Mechanisms Of Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Sepsis-Induced Kidney Injury, Joshua Andrew Smith

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a well-characterized pathophysiological feature of acute kidney injury (AKI). Our laboratory has previously implicated suppression of mitochondrial biogenesis, the process by which cells generate new and functional mitochondria, as an important contributor to development of mitochondrial dysfunction in multiple experimental models of AKI. However, relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for disruption of biogenesis in renal cells. The primary goals of this project were to define signaling pathways mediating acute suppression of renal cortical mitochondrial biogenesis and to characterize changes in glycolytic metabolism that might support both cellular and organ function following sepsis-induced AKI. …