Digital Commons Network^™

Snapin, Positive Regulator Of Stimulation- Induced Ca(2+) Release Through Ryr, Is Necessary For Hiv-1 Replication In T Cells., Shigemi M Kinoshita, Amane Kogure, Shizuka Taguchi, Garry P Nolan

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

To identify critical host factors necessary for human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) replication, large libraries of short-peptide-aptamers were expressed retrovirally. The target of one inhibitor peptide, Pep80, identified in this screen was determined to be Snapin, a protein associated with the soluble N-ethyl maleimide sensitive factor adaptor protein receptor (SNARE) complex that is critical for calcium-dependent exocytosis during neurotransmission. Pep80 inhibited Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores and blocked downstream signaling by direct interruption of the association between Snapin and an intracellular calcium release channel, the ryanodine receptor (RyR). NFAT signaling was preferentially abolished by Pep80. Expression of Snapin overcame Pep80-mediated …

Lactobacillus Acidophilus Alleviates Platelet-Activating Factor-Induced Inflammatory Responses In Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells, Alip Borthakur, Sumit Bhattacharyya, Anoop Kumar, Arivarasu Natarajan Anbazhagan, Joanne K. Tobacman, Pradeep K. Dudeja

Clinical & Translational Sciences

Probiotics have been used as alternative prevention and therapy modalities in intestinal inflammatory disorders including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Pathophysiology of IBD and NEC includes the production of diverse lipid mediators, including platelet-activating factor (PAF) that mediate inflammatory responses in the disease. PAF is known to activate NF-kB, however, the mechanisms of PAF-induced inflammation are not fully defined. We have recently described a novel PAF-triggered pathway of NF-κB activation and IL-8 production in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), requiring the pivotal role of the adaptor protein Bcl10 and its interactions with CARMA3 and MALT1. The current studies …

Igf-Ir Promotes Prostate Cancer Growth By Stabilizing Α5Β1 Integrin Protein Levels., Aejaz Sayeed, Carmine Fedele, Marco Trerotola, Kirat K Ganguly, Lucia R Languino

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Dynamic crosstalk between growth factor receptors, cell adhesion molecules and extracellular matrix is essential for cancer cell migration and invasion. Integrins are transmembrane receptors that bind extracellular matrix proteins and enable cell adhesion and cytoskeletal organization. They also mediate signal transduction to regulate cell proliferation and survival. The type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-IR) mediates tumor cell growth, adhesion and inhibition of apoptosis in several types of cancer. We have previously demonstrated that β1 integrins regulate anchorage-independent growth of prostate cancer (PrCa) cells by regulating IGF-IR expression and androgen receptor-mediated transcriptional functions. Furthermore, we have recently reported that IGF-IR …

Development Of A Conditional Mesd (Mesoderm Development) Allele For Functional Analysis Of The Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Family In Defined Tissues, Andrew V. Taibi, Janet K. Lighthouse, Richard C. Grady, Kenneth R. Shroyer, Bernadette Holdener

Department of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

The Low-density lipoprotein receptor-Related Protein (LRP) family members are essential for diverse processes ranging from the regulation of gastrulation to the modulation of lipid homeostasis. Receptors in this family bind and internalize a diverse array of ligands in the extracellular matrix (ECM). As a consequence, LRPs regulate a wide variety of cellular functions including, but not limited to lipid metabolism, membrane composition, cell motility, and cell signaling. Not surprisingly, mutations in single human LRPs are associated with defects in cholesterol metabolism and development of atherosclerosis, abnormalities in bone density, or aberrant eye vasculature, and may be a contributing factor in …

Meditation: Should A Cardiologist Care?, Stephen Olex, Andrew B. Newberg, Md, Vincent M. Figueredo, M.D.

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Meditation refers to a family of practices that may share many similarities, but can have differences in underlying methods and goals. Religious and spiritual associations are common but are not requisite for meditation practice and it should be recognized that the basis of many if not all practices is the training of the brain and body, a process that appears to have profound effects on both structure and function. In recent decades there has been interest regarding the effects of these ancient practices on the cardiovascular system, as meditation has intuitive appeal for benefit in this area. Though there is …

Developmental Genes Targeted For Epigenetic Variation Between Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome Children, Carmen J. Marsit, Devin C. Koestler, Debra Watson-Smith, Charlotte M. Boney

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Epigenetic mechanisms are thought to be critical in mediating the role of the intrauterine environment on lifelong health and disease. Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a rare condition wherein fetuses share the placenta and develop vascular anastomoses, which allow blood to flow between the fetuses. The unequal flow results in reciprocal hypo- and hypervolemia in the affected twins, striking growth differences and physiologic adaptations in response to this significant stressor. The donor twin in the TTTS syndrome can be profoundly growth restricted and there is likely a nutritional imbalance between the twins. The consequences of TTTS on fetal programming …

Defining The Vulnerable Period For Re-Establishment Of Clostridium Difficile Colonization After Treatment Of C. Difficile Infection With Oral Vancomycin Or Metronidazole, Venkata C.K. Sunkesula, Sirisha Kundrapu, Robin L. Jump, Curtis J. Donskey

Faculty Scholarship

Background:Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium that is the most common cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea in developed countries. A significant proportion of patients receiving oral vancomycin or metronidazole for treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) develop recurrences. However, the period of vulnerability to re-establishment of colonization by C. difficile after therapy is not well defined.Principal Findings:In a prospective study of CDI patients, we demonstrated that most vancomycin-treated patients maintained inhibitory concentrations of vancomycin in stool for 4 to 5 days after therapy, whereas metronidazole was only detectable during therapy. From the time of elimination of the antibiotics to 14 …

Recommendations For High-Priority Research On Cancer-Related Fatigue In Children And Adults., Andrea M. Barsevick, Michael R. Irwin, Pamela Hinds, Andrew Miller, Ann Berger, Paul Jacobsen, Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Bryce B Reeve, Karen Mustian, Ann O'Mara, Jin-Shei Lai, Michael Fisch, David Cella

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Over the past decades, some scientific progress has been made in understanding and treating cancer-related fatigue (CRF). However, three major problems have limited further progress: lack of agreement about measurement, inadequate understanding of the underlying biology, and problems in the conduct of clinical trials for CRF. This commentary reports the recommendations of a National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Planning Meeting and an ongoing National Cancer Institute working group to address these problems so that high-priority research and clinical trials can be conducted to advance the science of CRF and its treatment. Recommendations to address measurement issues included revising the current …

Com Outlook Fall 2013, College Of Osteopathic Medicine

COM Outlook

No abstract provided.

Second Messenger/Signal Transduction Pathways In Major Mood Disorders: Moving From Membrane To Mechanism Of Action, Part Ii: Bipolar Disorder, Mark Niciu, Dawn F. Ionescu, Daniel C. Matthews, Erica M. Richards, Carlos A. Zarate

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

The etiopathogenesis and treatment of major mood disorders have historically focused on modulation of monoaminergic (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine) and amino acid [γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate] receptors at the plasma membrane. Although the activation and inhibition of these receptors acutely alter local neurotransmitter levels, their neuropsychiatric effects are not immediately observed. This time lag implicates intracellular neuroplasticity as primary in the mechanism of action of antidepressants and mood stabilizers. The modulation of intracellular second messenger/signal transduction cascades affects neurotrophic pathways that are both necessary and sufficient for monoaminergic and amino acid–based treatments. In this review, we will discuss the evidence in …

Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) In Madagascar: A Case Study Of A Neglected Tropical Disease, Sarah Grace Sawyer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over 50% of Madagascar’s population is infected with intestinal or urinary schistosomiasis (Rollinson et al., 2012). The disease slowly debilitates infected persons, who are frequently children, resulting in lower productivity and reduced learning in school-age children. The disease involves a vicious cycle perpetuated by a number of environmental, psychological, and social factors. A multifaceted approach, involving mass treatment, biological control, environmental control, education, and disease surveillance, can lead to schistosomiasis control and elimination in Madagascar. This would yield many socio-economic benefits such as increased productivity, increased school attendance rates, and generally better welfare. Schistosomiasis is the most burdensome and deadly …

Retinal Angiogenesis Suppression Through Small Molecule Activation Of P53, Sai H. Chavala, Younghee Kim, Laura Tudisco, Valeria Cicatiello, Till Milde, Nagaraj Kerur, Nidia Claros, Susan Yanni, Victor H. Guaiquil, William W. Hauswirth, John S. Penn, Shahin Rafii, Sandro De Falco, Thomas C. Lee, Jayakrishna Ambati

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Publications

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the Western world. Cytokine-targeted therapies (such as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor) are effective in treating pathologic ocular angiogenesis, but have not led to a durable effect and often require indefinite treatment. Here, we show that Nutlin-3, a small molecule antagonist of the E3 ubiquitin protein ligase MDM2, inhibited angiogenesis in several model systems. We found that a functional p53 pathway was essential for Nutlin-3-mediated retinal antiangiogenesis and disruption of the p53 transcriptional network abolished the antiangiogenic activity of Nutlin-3. Nutlin-3 did not inhibit established, mature blood vessels …

National Trends In C. Difficileinfections In Hospitalized Children And Young Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, 2001 –2010, Kelly C. Sandberg, Matthew M. Davis, Achamyeleh Gebremariam, Jeremy Adler, Child Health Evaluation And Research Unit, University Of Michigan, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Pediatric Gastroenterology, University Of Michigan

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Clostridium difficile infection complicates inflammatory bowel disease in children and adults. Increased hospitalizations have been reported due to recent hypervirulent c. difficile strains. National trends of c. difficile infections in hospitalized children and young adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are currently incomplete.

Synthesis And Antiproliferative Activities Of Quebecol And Its Analogs, Kasiviswanadharaju Pericherla, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, V. Kameshwara Rao, Rakesh Tiwari, Nicholas Dasilva, Kellen Mccaffrey, Yousef A. Beni, Antonio González- Sarrías, Navindra P. Seeram, Keykavous Parang, Anil Kumar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Simple and efficient synthesis of quebecol and a number of its analogs was accomplished in five steps. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for antiproliferative activities against human cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa), human ovarian carcinoma (SK-OV-3), human colon carcinoma (HT-29), and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cancer cell lines. Among all the compounds, 7c, 7d, 7f, and 8f exhibited antiproliferative activities against four tested cell lines with inhibition over 80% at 75 mu M after 72 h, whereas, compound 7b and 7g were more selective towards MCF-7 cell line. The IC50 values for compounds 7c, 7d, and 7f were 85.1 mu M, 78.7 …

Selling Art: An Empirical Assessment Of Advertising On Fertility Clinics' Websites, Jim Hawkins

Indiana Law Journal

Scholarship on assisted reproductive technologies (ART) has emphasized the commercial nature of the interaction between fertility patients and their physicians, but little attention has been paid to precisely how clinics persuade patients to choose their clinics over their competitors’. This Article offers evidence about how clinics sell ART based on clinics’ advertising on their websites. To assess clinics’ marketing efforts, I coded advertising information on 372 fertility clinics’ websites. The results from the study confirm some suspicions of prior ART scholarship while contradicting others. For instance, in line with scholars who are concerned that racial minorities face barriers to accessing …

Altered Cholesterol Metabolism In Human Cancers Unraveled By Label-Free Spectroscopic Imaging, Shuhua Yue

Open Access Dissertations

Despite tremendous scientific achievements, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States. Metabolic reprogramming has been increasingly recognized as a core hallmark of cancer. My dissertation work identified novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for human cancers through the study of cholesterol in cancer cells.

Enabled by label-free Raman spectromicroscopy, we performed the first quantitative analysis of lipogenesis at single cell level in human patient cancerous tissues. Our imaging data revealed an unexpected, aberrant accumulation of esterified cholesterol in lipid droplets of high-grade prostate cancer and metastases, but not in normal prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia, or …

Oncolog, Volume 58, Number 10, October 2013, Bryan Tutt, Sunni Hosemann, C. Wilcox

OncoLog MD Anderson's Report to Physicians (All issues) Archives

• Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Node-Positive Breast Cancer May replace Axillary Dissection for Some Patients: Sentinel lymph node dissection has become a standard staging tool for breast cancer patients with no clinical eveidence of disease in the lymph nodes
• INBRIEF: miR-200 MicroRNAs Slow Tumor Growth
• Compass: Resectable or Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Initial Treatment Options-Neoadjuvent chemoradiation may benefit patients with resectable disease
• HOUSE CALL: Hereditary Cancers: Genetic screening can give valuable information

Do Ceramic Femoral Heads Reduce Taper Fretting Corrosion In Hip Arthroplasty? A Retrieval Study., Steven M Kurtz, Sevi B Kocagöz, Josa A Hanzlik, Richard J Underwood, Jeremy L Gilbert, Daniel W Macdonald, Gwo-Chin Lee, Michael A Mont, Matthew J Kraay, Gregg R Klein, Javad Parvizi, Clare M Rimnac

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: Previous studies regarding modular head-neck taper corrosion were largely based on cobalt chrome (CoCr) alloy femoral heads. Less is known about head-neck taper corrosion with ceramic femoral heads.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We asked (1) whether ceramic heads resulted in less taper corrosion than CoCr heads; (2) what device and patient factors influence taper fretting corrosion; and (3) whether the mechanism of taper fretting corrosion in ceramic heads differs from that in CoCr heads.

METHODS: One hundred femoral head-stem pairs were analyzed for evidence of fretting and corrosion using a visual scoring technique based on the severity and extent of fretting and …

Cryotherapy Following Visual Inspection With Acetic Acid And Lugol's Iodine (Via/Vili) In Khwisero, Western Kenya: Lesson From The Field Affecting Policy And Practice, Sammy Ngichabe, Patricia Muthaura, Christine W. Murungi, J. Muyoka, Elkanah Omenge, L Muchiri

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Cervical cancer can be prevented and mortality/morbidity reduced by early detection and referral. Developing countries are likely to benefit from more cost effective methods of screening and treatment. Visual inspection with acetic acid and Lugol`s iodine (VIA/VILI) offers a see and treat solution thus an affordable and efficient way to identify pre-malignant lesions. Immediate treatment with cryotherapy can be offered if pre-malignant lesions are found on visual inspection. Cryotherapy is a simple procedure that is curative for dysplasia; it is likely to benefit cervical dysplasia cases picked early in resource poor settings, however there are several factors that …

The Drosophila Eve Insulator Homie Promotes Eve Expression And Protects The Adjacent Gene From Repression By Polycomb Spreading., Miki Fujioka, Guizhi Sun, James B Jaynes

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Insulators can block the action of enhancers on promoters and the spreading of repressive chromatin, as well as facilitating specific enhancer-promoter interactions. However, recent studies have called into question whether the activities ascribed to insulators in model transgene assays actually reflect their functions in the genome. The Drosophila even skipped (eve) gene is a Polycomb (Pc) domain with a Pc-group response element (PRE) at one end, flanked by an insulator, an arrangement also seen in other genes. Here, we show that this insulator has three major functions. It blocks the spreading of the eve Pc domain, preventing repression of the …

Seventeenth Annual Scientific Meeting Institute Of Cardiovascular Science And Medicine

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

No abstract provided.

Epilepsy, Hippocampal Sclerosis And Febrile Seizures Linked By Common Genetic Variation Around Scn1a., Dalia Kasperaviciute, Claudia B Catarino, Mar Matarin, Costin Leu, Jan Novy, Anna Tostevin, Bárbara Leal, Ellen V S Hessel, Kerstin Hallmann, Michael S Hildebrand, Hans-Henrik M Dahl, Mina Ryten, Daniah Trabzuni, Adaikalavan Ramasamy, Saud Alhusaini, Colin P Doherty, Thomas Dorn, Jörg Hansen, Günter Krämer, Bernhard J Steinhoff, Dominik Zumsteg, Susan Duncan, Reetta K Kälviäinen, Kai J Eriksson, Anne-Mari Kantanen, Massimo Pandolfo, Ursula Gruber-Sedlmayr, Kurt Schlachter, Eva M Reinthaler, Elisabeth Stogmann, Fritz Zimprich, Emilie Théâtre, Colin Smith, Terence J O'Brien, K Meng Tan, Slave Petrovski, Angela Robbiano, Roberta Paravidino, Federico Zara, Pasquale Striano, Michael R Sperling, Russell J Buono, Hakon Hakonarson, João Chaves, Paulo P Costa, Berta M Silva, António M Da Silva, Pierre N E De Graan, Bobby P C Koeleman, Albert Becker, Susanne Schoch, Marec Von Lehe, Philipp S Reif, Felix Rosenow, Felicitas Becker, Yvonne Weber, Holger Lerche, Karl Rössler, Michael Buchfelder, Hajo M Hamer, Katja Kobow, Roland Coras, Ingmar Blumcke, Ingrid E Scheffer, Samuel F Berkovic, Michael E. Weale, Uk Brain Expression Consortium, Norman Delanty, Chantal Depondt, Gianpiero L Cavalleri, Wolfram S Kunz, Sanjay M Sisodiya

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Epilepsy comprises several syndromes, amongst the most common being mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis. Seizures in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis are typically drug-resistant, and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis is frequently associated with important co-morbidities, mandating the search for better understanding and treatment. The cause of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis is unknown, but there is an association with childhood febrile seizures. Several rarer epilepsies featuring febrile seizures are caused by mutations in SCN1A, which encodes a brain-expressed sodium channel subunit targeted by many anti-epileptic drugs. We undertook a genome-wide association …

Thioredoxin Reductase Was Nitrated In The Aging Heart After Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion., Ke Wang, Jie Zhang, Xiaoliang Wang, Xin Liu, Lin Zuo, Kehua Bai, Jianyu Shang, Lu Ma, Teng Liu, Li Wang, Wen Wang, Xin-Liang Ma, Huirong Liu

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

The age-related loss of anti-oxidant defense reduces recovery from myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/R) in aged people. Our previous data showed that inactivation of thioredoxin (Trx) was involved in enhanced aging MI/R injury. Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), the enzyme known to regulate Trx, is less efficient with age. The aim of the current study was to determine why TrxR activity was reduced and whether reduced TrxR activity contributed to enhanced aging MI/R injury. Both Trx and TrxR activity were decreased in the aging heart, and this difference was further amplified after MI/R. However, MI/R injury did not change TrxR expression between young …

Is There A Viability-Vulnerability Tradeoff? Sex Differences In Fetal Programming, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn, Elyssia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

OBJECTIVE: In this paper we evaluate the evidence for sex differences in fetal programming within the context of the proposed viability-vulnerability tradeoff.

METHODS: We briefly review the literature on the factors contributing to primary and secondary sex ratios. Sex differences in fetal programming are assessed by summarizing previously published sex difference findings from our group (6 studies) and also new analyses of previously published findings in which sex differences were not reported (6 studies).

RESULTS: The review and reanalysis of studies from our group are consistent with the overwhelming evidence of increasing risk for viability among males exposed to environmental …

Cardiac Risk Factors And Risk Scores Vs Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography: A Prospective Cohort Study For Triage Of Ed Patients With Acute Chest Pain., Ethan J Halpern, Jacob P Deutsch, Maria M Hannaway, Adrian T Estepa, Anand S Kenia, Kenneth J Neuburger, David C Levin

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to evaluate cardiac risk factors and risk scores for prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD) and adverse outcomes in an emergency department (ED) population judged to be at low to intermediate risk for acute coronary syndrome.

METHODS: Informed consent was obtained from consecutive ED patients who presented with chest pain and were evaluated with coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA). Cardiac risk factors, clinical presentation, electrocardiogram, and laboratory studies were recorded; the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) scores were tabulated. Coronary computed tomography angiography findings were …

Stroke Radiology And Distinguishing Characteristics Of Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease In Native South Asian Pakistanis., Maria Khan, Asif Rasheed, Saman Hashmi, Moazzam Zaidi, Saba Akhtar, Lajpat Bansari, Nabi Shah, Maria Samuel, Sadaf Raza, Umer Rais Khan, Bilal Ahmed, Bilawal Ahmed, Naveeduddin Ahmed, Jamal Ara, Tasnim Ahsan, S. M. Munir, Shoukat Ali, Khalid Mehmood, Karim Ullah Maki, Muhammad Masroor Ahmed, Niaz Sheikh, Abdul Rauf Memon,, Philippe M. Frossard, Ayeesha Kamran Kamal

Department of Medicine

Background: There are no descriptions of stroke mechanisms from intracranial atherosclerotic disease in native South Asian Pakistanis.

Methods: Men and women aged ≥ 18 years with acute stroke presenting to four tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan were screened using magnetic resonance angiography/transcranial Doppler scans. Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment criteria were applied to identify strokes from intracranial atherosclerotic disease.

Results: We studied 245 patients with acute stroke due to intracranial atherosclerotic disease. Two hundred thirty scans were reviewed. Also, 206/230 (89.0%) showed acute ischaemia. The most frequent presentation was with cortically based strokes in 42.2% (87/206) …

Outdated Dermatologic Drug Samples And Obligations To The Patient., Jordan Wang, Matthew Keller

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

CASE SCENARIO

A 37-year-old man with a slightly raised, red, scaly patch on his left arm is seen in the clinic of an academic teaching hospital by a young dermatologist. Following examination and biopsy, he is found to have squamous cell carcinoma in situ. The patient was recently laid off from work and had lost access to his health insurance. He is struggling to make ends meet for his family, so it would be difficult for him to cover any extraneous health-related expenses. Upon relaying this information to the dermatologist, the patient is provided with a full course of 5-fluorouracil …

Learner-Based Teaching In Hospice And Palliative Care, Paul D. Longenecker

Health and Sport Sciences Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Consistent Surgeon Evaluations Of Three-Dimensional Rendering Of Pet/Ct Scans Of The Abdomen Of A Patient With A Ductal Pancreatic Mass., Matthew E Wampole, John C Kairys, Edith P Mitchell, Martha L Ankeny, Mathew L Thakur, Eric Wickstrom

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Two-dimensional (2D) positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) are used for diagnosis and evaluation of cancer patients, requiring surgeons to look through multiple planar images to comprehend the tumor and surrounding tissues. We hypothesized that experienced surgeons would consistently evaluate three-dimensional (3D) presentation of CT images overlaid with PET images when preparing for a procedure. We recruited six Jefferson surgeons to evaluate the accuracy, usefulness, and applicability of 3D renderings of the organs surrounding a malignant pancreas prior to surgery. PET/CT and contrast-enhanced CT abdominal scans of a patient with a ductal pancreatic mass were segmented into 3D …

Role Of Endothelial To Mesenchymal Transition In The Pathogenesis Of The Vascular Alterations In Systemic Sclerosis., Sergio A Jimenez

Scleroderma Center Faculty Papers

The pathogenesis of Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is extremely complex, and despite extensive studies, the exact mechanisms involved are not well understood. Numerous recent studies of early events in SSc pathogenesis have suggested that unknown etiologic factors in a genetically receptive host trigger structural and functional microvascular endothelial cell abnormalities. These alterations result in the attraction, transmigration, and accumulation of immune and inflammatory cells in the perivascular tissues, which in turn induce the phenotypic conversion of endothelial cells and quiescent fibroblasts into activated myofibroblasts, a process known as endothelial to mesenchymal transition or EndoMT. The activated myofibroblasts are the effector cells …