Digital Commons Network^™

Predictive Oncology: A Review Of Multidisciplinary, Multiscale In Silico Modeling Linking Phenotype, Morphology And Growth, Sandeep Sanga, Hermann B. Frieboes, Xiaoming Zheng, Robert Gatenby, Elaine L. Bearer, Vittorio Cristini

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Empirical evidence and theoretical studies suggest that the phenotype, i.e., cellular- and molecular-scale dynamics, including proliferation rate and adhesiveness due to microenvironmental factors and gene expression that govern tumor growth and invasiveness, also determine gross tumor-scale morphology. It has been difficult to quantify the relative effect of these links on disease progression and prognosis using conventional clinical and experimental methods and observables. As a result, successful individualized treatment of highly malignant and invasive cancers, such as glioblastoma, via surgical resection and chemotherapy cannot be offered and outcomes are generally poor. What is needed is a deterministic, quantifiable method to enable …

High-Resolution Vascular Imaging Of The Rat Spine Using Liposomal Blood Pool Mr Agent, K B Ghaghada, K H J Bockhorst, S Mukundan, A V Annapragada, P A Narayana

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: High-resolution, vascular MR imaging of the spine region in small animals poses several challenges. The small anatomic features, extravascular diffusion, and low signal-to-noise ratio limit the use of conventional contrast agents. We hypothesize that a long-circulating, intravascular liposomal-encapsulated MR contrast agent (liposomal-Gd) would facilitate visualization of small anatomic features of the perispinal vasculature not visible with conventional contrast agent (gadolinium-diethylene-triaminepentaacetic acid [Gd-DTPA]). METHODS: In this study, high-resolution MR angiography of the spine region was performed in a rat model using a liposomal-Gd, which is known to remain within the blood pool for an extended period. The imaging …

Reducing Liver Cancer Disparities: A Community-Based Hepatitis-B Prevention Program For Asian-American Communities, Chiehwen E. Hsu, Louis Chih-Hung Liu, Hee-Soon Juon, Yu-Wen Chiu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Several Asian-American groups are at a higher risk of dying of liver diseases attributable to hepatitis-B infection. This culturally diverse community should be well informed of and protected against liver diseases. The present study assesses the knowledge of hepatitis B before and after a hepatitis-B educational program and determines the infection status of an Asian community.

METHODS: Nine Asian communities of Montgomery County, MD, enrolled in the hepatitis-B prevention program between 2005 and 2006. They attended culturally tailored lectures on prevention, completed self-administered pre- and posttests, and received blood screening for the disease.

RESULTS: More than 800 Asian Americans …

A Spatial-Temporal Approach To Surveillance Of Prostate Cancer Disparities In Population Subgroups, Chiehwen E. Hsu, Francisco Soto Mas, Jerry A. Miller, Ella T. Nkhoma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer mortality disparities exist among racial/ethnic groups in the United States, yet few studies have explored the spatiotemporal trend of the disease burden. To better understand mortality disparities by geographic regions over time, the present study analyzed the geographic variations of prostate cancer mortality by three Texas racial/ethnic groups over a 22-year period.

METHODS: The Spatial Scan Statistic developed by Kulldorff et al was used. Excess mortality was detected using scan windows of 50% and 90% of the study period and a spatial cluster size of 50% of the population at risk. Time trend was analyzed to examine …

Towards A Hybrid Method To Categorize Interruptions And Activities In Healthcare, Juliana J. Brixey, David J. Robinson, Craig W. Johnson, Todd R. Johnson, James P. Turley, Vimla L. Patel, Jiajie Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

ObjectiveInterruptions are known to have a negative impact on activity performance. Understanding how an interruption contributes to human error is limited because there is not a standard method for analyzing and classifying interruptions. Qualitative data are typically analyzed by either a deductive or an inductive method. Both methods have limitations. In this paper a hybrid method was developed that integrates deductive and inductive methods for the categorization of activities and interruptions recorded during an ethnographic study of physicians and registered nurses in a Level One Trauma Center. Understanding the effects of interruptions is important for designing and evaluating informatics …

Role Of The Cytoplasmic Domain In Anabaena Sensory Rhodopsin Photocycling: Vectoriality Of Schiff Base Deprotonation, Oleg A Sineshchekov, Elena N Spudich, Vishwa D Trivedi, John L Spudich

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Light-induced electric signals in intact E. coli cells generated by heterologously expressed full-length and C-terminally truncated versions of Anabaena sensory rhodopsin (ASR) demonstrate that the charge movements within the membrane-embedded part of the molecule are stringently controlled by the cytoplasmic domain. In particular, truncation inverts the direction of proton movement during Schiff base deprotonation from outward to cytoplasmic. Truncation also alters faster charge movements that occur before Schiff base deprotonation. Asp(217) as previously shown by FTIR serves as a proton acceptor in the truncated ASR but not in the full-length version, and its mutation to Asn restores the natural outward …

Acute And Chronic Methylphenidate Dose-Response Assessment On Three Adolescent Male Rat Strains, Pamela B Yang, Alan C Swann, Nachum Dafny

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Methylphenidate (MPD), commonly known as Ritalin, is the most frequently prescribed drug to treat children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Adolescence is a period of development involving numerous neuroplasticities throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Exposure to a psychostimulant such as MPD during this crucial period of neurodevelopment may cause transient or permanent changes in the CNS. Genetic variability may also influence these differences. Thus, the objective of the present study was to determine whether acute and chronic administration of MPD (0.6, 2.5, or 10.0mg/kg, i.p.) elicit effects among adolescent WKY, SHR, and SD rats and to …

Library Holiday Hours, Vol.4 (6) November - December 2006, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

The Insider (2003-2008)

No abstract provided.

Insider Express, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Insider Express (2003-2013)

No abstract provided.

Library Fund Raising, Vol.20 (2) October - December 2006, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Library Lines (1998-2009)

No abstract provided.

Proteomic Identification Of In Vivo Substrates For Matrix Metalloproteinases 2 And 9 Reveals A Mechanism For Resolution Of Inflammation, Kendra J Greenlee, David B Corry, David A Engler, Risë K Matsunami, Philippe Tessier, Richard G Cook, Zena Werb, Farrah Kheradmand

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clearance of allergic inflammatory cells from the lung through matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is necessary to prevent lethal asphyxiation, but mechanistic insight into this essential homeostatic process is lacking. In this study, we have used a proteomics approach to determine how MMPs promote egression of lung inflammatory cells through the airway. MMP2- and MMP9-dependent cleavage of individual Th2 chemokines modulated their chemotactic activity; however, the net effect of complementing bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of allergen-challenged MMP2(-/-)/MMP9(-/-) mice with active MMP2 and MMP9 was to markedly enhance its overall chemotactic activity. In the bronchoalveolar fluid of MMP2(-/-)/MMP9(-/-) allergic mice, we identified several chemotactic …

Insider Express, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Insider Express (2003-2013)

No abstract provided.

New Library Website, Vol.4 (5) September - October 2006, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

The Insider (2003-2008)

No abstract provided.

Time To Renal Disease And End-Stage Renal Disease In Profile: A Multiethnic Lupus Cohort, Graciela S. Alarcón, Gerald Mcgwin, Michelle Petri, Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman, Barri J. Fessler, Luis M. Vilá, Jeffrey C. Edberg, John D. Reveille, Robert P. Kimberly

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Renal involvement is a serious manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); it may portend a poor prognosis as it may lead to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The purpose of this study was to determine the factors predicting the development of renal involvement and its progression to ESRD in a multi-ethnic SLE cohort (PROFILE).

METHODS AND FINDINGS: PROFILE includes SLE patients from five different United States institutions. We examined at baseline the socioeconomic-demographic, clinical, and genetic variables associated with the development of renal involvement and its progression to ESRD by univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Analyses of …

Endocarditis And Biofilm-Associated Pili Of Enterococcus Faecalis, Sreedhar R Nallapareddy, Kavindra V Singh, Jouko Sillanpää, Danielle A Garsin, Magnus Höök, Stanley L Erlandsen, Barbara E Murray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Increasing multidrug resistance in Enterococcus faecalis, a nosocomial opportunist and common cause of bacterial endocarditis, emphasizes the need for alternative therapeutic approaches such as immunotherapy or immunoprophylaxis. In an earlier study, we demonstrated the presence of antibodies in E. faecalis endocarditis patient sera to recombinant forms of 9 E. faecalis cell wall-anchored proteins; of these, we have now characterized an in vivo-expressed locus of 3 genes and an associated sortase gene (encoding sortase C; SrtC). Here, using mutation analyses and complementation, we demonstrated that both the ebp (encoding endocarditis and biofilm-associated pili) operon and srtC are important for biofilm production …

Insider Express, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Insider Express (2003-2013)

No abstract provided.

Welcome To The Ham-Tmc Library, Vol.20 (1) July - September 2006, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Library Lines (1998-2009)

No abstract provided.

Minimizing Radiation Injury And Neoplastic Effects During Pediatric Fluoroscopy: What Should We Know?, Louis Kenneth Wagner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Radiation-induced injuries from fluoroscopic procedures in pediatric patients have occurred, and young patients are at greatest risk of many radiation-induced neoplasms. Some fluoroscopists have been injured from their use of fluoroscopy, and they are known to be at risk of radiation-induced neoplasm when radiation is not well-controlled. This article reviews the circumstances that lead to radiation injury and delineates some procedural methods to avoid injury and limit radiation exposure to both the patient and the fluoroscopist.

Platelet-Activating Factor Is Crucial In Psoralen And Ultraviolet A-Induced Immune Suppression, Inflammation, And Apoptosis, Peter Wolf, Dat X Nghiem, Jeffrey P Walterscheid, Scott Byrne, Yumi Matsumura, Yasuhiro Matsumura, Cora Bucana, Honnavara N Ananthaswamy, Stephen E Ullrich

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Psoralen plus UVA (PUVA) is used as a very effective treatment modality for various diseases, including psoriasis and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. PUVA-induced immune suppression and/or apoptosis are thought to be responsible for the therapeutic action. However, the molecular mechanisms by which PUVA acts are not well understood. We have previously identified platelet-activating factor (PAF), a potent phospholipid mediator, as a crucial substance triggering ultraviolet B radiation-induced immune suppression. In this study, we used PAF receptor knockout mice, a selective PAF receptor antagonist, a COX-2 inhibitor (presumably blocking downstream effects of PAF), and PAF-like molecules to test the role of PAF …

Important Notice: Biomed Central, Vol.4 (4) July - August 2006, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

The Insider (2003-2008)

No abstract provided.

Insider Express, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Insider Express (2003-2013)

No abstract provided.

Role Of A2b Adenosine Receptor Signaling In Adenosine-Dependent Pulmonary Inflammation And Injury, Chun-Xiao Sun, Hongyan Zhong, Amir Mohsenin, Eva Morschl, Janci L Chunn, Jose G Molina, Luiz Belardinelli, Dewan Zeng, Michael R Blackburn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Adenosine has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In vitro studies suggest that activation of the A2B adenosine receptor (A2BAR) results in proinflammatory and profibrotic effects relevant to the progression of lung diseases; however, in vivo data supporting these observations are lacking. Adenosine deaminase-deficient (ADA-deficient) mice develop pulmonary inflammation and injury that are dependent on increased lung adenosine levels. To investigate the role of the A2BAR in vivo, ADA-deficient mice were treated with the selective A2BAR antagonist CVT-6883, and pulmonary inflammation, fibrosis, and airspace integrity were assessed. Untreated and …

Insider Express, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Insider Express (2003-2013)

No abstract provided.

Transcriptional Regulation Of The Borrelia Burgdorferi Antigenically Variable Vlse Surface Protein, Tomasz Bykowski, Kelly Babb, Kate Von Lackum, Sean P Riley, Steven J Norris, Brian Stevenson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi can persistently infect humans and other animals despite host active immune responses. This is facilitated, in part, by the vls locus, a complex system consisting of the vlsE expression site and an adjacent set of 11 to 15 silent vls cassettes. Segments of nonexpressed cassettes recombine with the vlsE region during infection of mammalian hosts, resulting in combinatorial antigenic variation of the VlsE outer surface protein. We now demonstrate that synthesis of VlsE is regulated during the natural mammal-tick infectious cycle, being activated in mammals but repressed during tick colonization. Examination of cultured B. …

Houston Conference On Health Informatics, Vol.4 (3) May - June 2006, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

The Insider (2003-2008)

No abstract provided.

Insider Express, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Insider Express (2003-2013)

No abstract provided.

Outreach To Other Counties And Unaffiliated Institutions, Vol.19 (4) April - June 2006, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Library Lines (1998-2009)

No abstract provided.

Mutations Affecting Beta-Tubulin Folding And Degradation, Yaqing Wang, Guoling Tian, Nicholas J Cowan, Fernando Cabral

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Revertants of a colcemid-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cell line with an altered (D45Y) beta-tubulin have allowed the identification of four cis-acting mutations (L187R, Y398C, a 12-amino acid in-frame deletion, and a C-terminal truncation) that act by destabilizing the mutant tubulin and preventing it from incorporating into microtubules. These unstable beta-tubulins fail to form heterodimers and are predominantly found in association with the chaperonin CCT, suggesting that they cannot undergo productive folding. In agreement with these in vivo observations, we show that the defective beta-tubulins do not stably interact with cofactors involved in the tubulin folding pathway and, hence, fail to …

Understanding Interruptions In Healthcare: Developing A Model, Juliana J. Brixey

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Developing a Model Interruption is a known human factor that contributes to errors and catastrophic events in healthcare as well as other high-risk industries. The landmark Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, To Err is Human, brought attention to the significance of preventable errors in medicine and suggested that interruptions could be a contributing factor. Previous studies of interruptions in healthcare did not offer a conceptual model by which to study interruptions. As a result of the serious consequences of interruptions investigated in other high-risk industries, there is a need to develop a model to describe, understand, explain, and predict interruptions …

Accuracy And Self Correction Of Information Received From An Internet Breast Cancer List: Content Analysis, Adol Esquivel, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Elmer V Bernstam

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of false or misleading statements in messages posted by internet cancer support groups and whether these statements were identified as false or misleading and corrected by other participants in subsequent postings. DESIGN: Analysis of content of postings. SETTING: Internet cancer support group Breast Cancer Mailing List. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of false or misleading statements posted from 1 January to 23 April 2005 and whether these were identified and corrected by participants in subsequent postings. RESULTS: 10 of 4600 postings (0.22%) were found to be false or misleading. Of these, seven were identified as false …