Digital Commons Network^™

A Review Of The Global Literature On Dental Therapists, David A. Nash, Jay W. Friedman, Kavita R. Mathu-Muju, Peter G. Robinson, Julie Satur, Susan Moffat, Rosemary Kardos, Edward C. M. Lo, Anthony H. H. Wong, Nasruddin Jaafar, Jos Van Den Heuvel, Prathip Phantumvanit, Eu Oy Chu, Rahul Naidu, Lesley Naidoo, Irving Mckenzie, Eshani Fernando

Oral Health Science Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: Access to adequate oral health care is deficient in many parts of the world. Many countries are now using dental therapists to increase access, particularly for children. To inform the discussion on dental therapists in the workforce, particularly in the United States, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation funded a review of the global literature to identify as many documents as possible related to the practice of dental therapists since the establishment of the School Dental Service in New Zealand in 1921.

METHODS: Consultants in each of the countries considered to have a substantive literature on dental therapists were …

Characteristics Of Acute Care Utilization Of A Delaware Adult Sickle Cell Disease Patient Population., Nina Anderson, Jennifer L. Bellot, Oluseyi Senu-Oke, Samir K. Ballas

Department of Nursing papers and presentations

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder that is chronic in nature and manifests itself through many facets of the patient's life. Comprehensive specialty centers have the potential to reduce health care costs and improve the quality of care for patients who have chronic medical conditions such as heart failure and SCD. The purpose of this practice inquiry was to analyze de-identified data for acute care episodes involving SCD in order to create a detailed picture of acute care utilization for adult patients in Delaware with SCD from 2007 to 2009. Gaining a better understanding of acute care …

Using Accreditation Standards As A Framework To Evaluate And Improve A Community-Based Diabetes Self-Management Education Program., Neva White, Mary Lou Manning, Rickie Brawer, James Plumb

Department of Nursing papers and presentations

Diabetes self-management education is an essential component of diabetes clinical management, and community-based programs are an effective intervention for improving glycemic control among adults living with diabetes. The National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support are designed to define quality diabetes self-management education and support, and to assist diabetes educators to provide evidence-based education and self-management support. These standards are used in the field for recognition and accreditation. This article presents the results of a program evaluation conducted by the Center for Urban Health at the Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital, examines the outcomes of the community-based diabetes self-management …

A Novel In Vivo Model For Evaluating Functional Restoration Of A Tissue-Engineered Salivary Gland., Swati Pradhan-Bhatt, Daniel A Harrington, Randall L Duncan, Mary C Farach-Carson, Xinqiao Jia, Robert L Witt

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To create a novel model for development of a tissue-engineered salivary gland from human salivary gland cells that retains progenitor cell markers useful for treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia.

STUDY DESIGN: A three-dimensional (3D) hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogel scaffold was used to encapsulate primary human salivary gland cells and to obtain organized acini-like spheroids. Hydrogels were implanted into rat models, and cell viability and receptor expression were evaluated.

METHODS: A parotid gland surgical resection model for xenografting was developed. Salivary cells loaded in HA hydrogels formed spheroids and in vitro were implanted in the three-fourths resected parotid bed of athymic …

Managing The Innovation Supply Chain To Maximize Personalized Medicine., Scott A. Waldman, Andre Terzic

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

Personalized medicine epitomizes an evolving model of care tailored to the individual patient. This emerging paradigm harnesses radical technological advances to define each patient's molecular characteristics and decipher his or her unique pathophysiological processes. Translated into individualized algorithms, personalized medicine aims to predict, prevent, and cure disease without producing therapeutic adverse events. Although the transformative power of personalized medicine is generally recognized by physicians, patients, and payers, the complexity of translating discoveries into new modalities that transform health care is less appreciated. We often consider the flow of innovation and technology along a continuum of discovery, development, regulation, and application …

A Prospective, Multicenter, Phase I Matched-Comparison Group Trial Of Safety, Pharmacokinetics, And Preliminary Efficacy Of Riluzole In Patients With Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury., Robert G Grossman, Michael G Fehlings, Ralph F Frankowski, Keith D Burau, Diana S L Chow, Charles Tator, Angela Teng, Elizabeth G Toups, James Harrop, Bizhan Aarabi, Christopher I Shaffrey, Michele M Johnson, Susan J Harkema, Maxwell Boakye, James D Guest, Jefferson R Wilson

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

A prospective, multicenter phase I trial was undertaken by the North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN) to investigate the pharmacokinetics and safety of, as well as obtain pilot data on, the effects of riluzole on neurological outcome in acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Thirty-six patients, with ASIA impairment grades A-C (28 cervical and 8 thoracic) were enrolled at 6 NACTN sites between April 2010 and June 2011. Patients received 50 mg of riluzole PO/NG twice-daily, within 12 h of SCI, for 14 days. Peak and trough plasma concentrations were quantified on days 3 and 14. Peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and …

Variation In Feeding Practices Following The Norwood Procedure., Linda M. Lambert, Nancy A. Pike, Barbara Medoff-Cooper, Victor Zak, Victoria L. Pemberton, Lisa Young-Borkowski, Martha L. Clabby, Kathryn N. Nelson, Richard G. Ohye, Bethany Trainor, Karen Uzark, Nancy Rudd, Louise Bannister, Rosalind Korsin, David S. Cooper, Christian Pizarro, Sinai C. Zyblewski, Bronwyn H. Bartle, Richard V. Williams, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: To assess variation in feeding practice at hospital discharge after the Norwood procedure, factors associated with tube feeding, and associations among site, feeding mode, and growth before stage II.

STUDY DESIGN: From May 2005 to July 2008, 555 subjects from 15 centers were enrolled in the Pediatric Heart Network Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial; 432 survivors with feeding data at hospital discharge after the Norwood procedure were analyzed.

RESULTS: Demographic and clinical variables were compared among 4 feeding modes: oral only (n = 140), oral/tube (n = 195), nasogastric tube (N-tube) only (n = 40), and gastrostomy tube (G-tube) only …

Ultra High-Resolution Gene Centric Genomic Structural Analysis Of A Non-Syndromic Congenital Heart Defect, Tetralogy Of Fallot., Douglas C. Bittel, Xin-Gang Zhou, Nataliya Kibiryeva, Stephanie Fiedler, James E. O'Brien, Jennifer A. Marshall, Shihui Yu, Hong-Yu Liu

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is one of the most common severe congenital heart malformations. Great progress has been made in identifying key genes that regulate heart development, yet approximately 70% of TOF cases are sporadic and nonsyndromic with no known genetic cause. We created an ultra high-resolution gene centric comparative genomic hybridization (gcCGH) microarray based on 591 genes with a validated association with cardiovascular development or function. We used our gcCGH array to analyze the genomic structure of 34 infants with sporadic TOF without a deletion on chromosome 22q11.2 (n male = 20; n female = 14; age range of …

Predicting The Risk Of Suicide By Analyzing The Text Of Clinical Notes, Chris Poulin, Brian Shiner, Paul Thompson, Linas Vepstas, Yinong Young-Xu, Benjamin Goertzel, Bradley Watts, Laura Flashman, Thomas Mcallister

Dartmouth Scholarship

We developed linguistics-driven prediction models to estimate the risk of suicide. These models were generated from unstructured clinical notes taken from a national sample of U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) medical records. We created three matched cohorts: veterans who committed suicide, veterans who used mental health services and did not commit suicide, and veterans who did not use mental health services and did not commit suicide during the observation period (n = 70 in each group). From the clinical notes, we generated datasets of single keywords and multi-word phrases, and constructed prediction models using a machine-learning algorithm based on a …

Primate Energy Eexpenditure And Life History, Herman Pontzer, David A. Raichlen, Adam D. Gordon, Kara K. Schroepfer-Walker, Brian Hare, Matthew C. O’Neill, Kathleen M. Muldoon

Dartmouth Scholarship

Humans and other primates are distinct among placental mammals in having exceptionally slow rates of growth, reproduction, and aging. Primates’ slow life history schedules are generally thought to reflect an evolved strategy of allocating energy away from growth and reproduction and toward somatic investment, particularly to the development and maintenance of large brains. Here we examine an alternative explanation: that primates’ slow life histories reflect low total energy expenditure (TEE) (kilocalories per day) relative to other placental mammals. We compared doubly labeled water measurements of TEE among 17 primate species with similar measures for other placental mammals. We found that …

Maternal Biomarkers Of Endothelial Dysfunction And Preterm Delivery, Xinhua Chen, Theresa O Scholl

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction is key to the development of atherosclerosis. Preterm delivery foreshadows later maternal cardiovascular disease (CVD), but it is not known if endothelial dysfunction also occurs. We prospectively measured circulating biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction in pregnant women with preterm or term delivery.

METHODS: We conducted a case-control study nested within a large prospective epidemiological study of young, generally healthy pregnant women. Women who delivered preterm (gestation, n = 240) and controls who delivered at term (n = 439) were included. Pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia were analyzed separately. Circulating endothelial dysfunction biomarkers included soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), vascular …

Investigating The Early Stages Of Person Perception: The Asymmetry Of Social Categorization By Sex Vs. Age, Jasmin Cloutier, Jonathan B. Freeman, Nalini Ambady

Dartmouth Scholarship

The wealth of information provided by facial cues presents challenges to our understanding of these early stages of person perception. The current study aimed to uncover the dynamics of processing multiply categorizable faces, notably as a function of their gender and age. Using a modified four-choice version of a mouse-tracking paradigm (which assesses the relative dominance of two categorical dimensions), the relative influence that sex and age have on each other during categorization of infant, younger adult, and older adult faces was investigated. Results of these experiments demonstrate that when sex and age dimensions are simultaneously categorized, only for infant …

Axl/Gas6/Nfκb Signalling In Schwannoma Pathological Proliferation, Adhesion And Survival., S. Ammoun, L. Provenzano, L. Zhou, M. Barczyk, K. Evans, D. A. Hilton, S. Hafizi, C. O. Hanemann

Peninsula Medical School

TAM family receptor tyrosine kinases comprising Tyro3 (Sky), Axl, and Mer are overexpressed in some cancers, correlate with multidrug resistance and contribute to tumourigenesis by regulating invasion, angiogenesis, cell survival and tumour growth. Mutations in the gene coding for a tumour suppressor merlin cause development of multiple tumours of the nervous system such as schwannomas, meningiomas and ependymomas occurring spontaneously or as part of a hereditary disease neurofibromatosis type 2. The benign character of merlin-deficient tumours makes them less responsive to chemotherapy. We previously showed that, amongst other growth factor receptors, TAM family receptors (Tyro3, Axl and Mer) are significantly …

Identification Of A Developmental Gene Expression Signature, Including Hox Genes, For The Normal Human Colonic Crypt Stem Cell Niche: Overexpression Of The Signature Parallels Stem Cell Overpopulation During Colon Tumorigenesis., Seema Bhatlekar, Sankar Addya, Moreh Salunek, Christopher R Orr, Saul Surrey, Steven E. Mckenzie, Jeremy Z Fields, Bruce M Boman

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Our goal was to identify a unique gene expression signature for human colonic stem cells (SCs). Accordingly, we determined the gene expression pattern for a known SC-enriched region--the crypt bottom. Colonic crypts and isolated crypt subsections (top, middle, and bottom) were purified from fresh, normal, human, surgical specimens. We then used an innovative strategy that used two-color microarrays (∼18,500 genes) to compare gene expression in the crypt bottom with expression in the other crypt subsections (middle or top). Array results were validated by PCR and immunostaining. About 25% of genes analyzed were expressed in crypts: 88 preferentially in the bottom, …

Then And Now: The Progress In Hepatitis B Treatment Over The Past 20 Years., Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, Hie-Won Hann

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The ultimate goals of treating chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatic decompensation. Since the advent of effective antiviral drugs that appeared during the past two decades, considerable advances have been made not only in controlling hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, but also in preventing and reducing the incidence of liver cirrhosis and HCC. Furthermore, several recent studies have suggested the possibility of reducing the incidence of recurrent or new HCC in patients even after they have developed HCC. Currently, six medications are available for HBV treatment including, interferon and five nucleoside/nucleotide analogues. In this …

Development Of A Personalized Decision Aid For Breast Cancer Risk Reduction And Management, Elissa M. Ozanne, Rebecca Howe, Zehra Omer, Laura J. Esserman

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Breast cancer risk reduction has the potential to decrease the incidence of the disease, yet remains underused. We report on the development a web-based tool that provides automated risk assessment and personalized decision support designed for collaborative use between patients and clinicians. Methods: Under Institutional Review Board approval, we evaluated the decision tool through a patient focus group, usability testing, and provider interviews (including breast specialists, primary care physicians, genetic counselors). This included demonstrations and data collection at two scientific conferences (2009 International Shared Decision Making Conference, 2009 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium). Results: Overall, the evaluations were favorable. …

Assessments Of Empathy In Medical School Admissions: What Additional Evidence Is Needed?, Mohammadreza Hojat

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

The Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) sponsored a symposium on the theme of Examin-ing the Evidence with Regard to Character, Personality and Values in Medical School Selection which was held on October 14, 2013 at the University of Sheffield Medical School in the United Kingdom. I was invited to speak about credibility issues related to personality assessments in health profession educations. To my pleasant surprise, I found the European audience receptive (more than their counterparts in the United States) to the idea of using personality assess-ments in admission decisions. There seems to be a hesita-tion among leaders …

Revealing Variations In Perception Of Mental States From Dynamic Facial Expressions: A Cautionary Note, Elisa Back, Timothy R. Jordan

All Works

Although a great deal of research has been conducted on the recognition of basic facial emotions (e.g., anger, happiness, sadness), much less research has been carried out on the more subtle facial expressions of an individual's mental state (e.g., anxiety, disinterest, relief). Of particular concern is that these mental state expressions provide a crucial source of communication in everyday life but little is known about the accuracy with which natural dynamic facial expressions of mental states are identified and, in particular, the variability in mental state perception that is produced. Here we report the findings of two studies that investigated …

Spatial Frequency Analysis Of Anisotropic Drug Transport In Tumor Samples, Stewart Russell, Kimberley S. Samkoe, Jason R. Gunn, P Jack Hoopes, Thienan A. Nguyen, Milo J. Russell, Robert R. Alfano, Brian W. Pogue

Dartmouth Scholarship

Directional Fourier spatial frequency analysis was used on standard histological sections to identify salient directional bias in the spatial frequencies of stromal and epithelial patterns within tumor tissue. This directional bias is shown to be correlated to the pathway of reduced fluorescent tracer transport. Optical images of tumor specimens contain a complex distribution of randomly oriented aperiodic features used for neoplastic grading that varies with tumor type, size, and morphology. The internal organization of these patterns in frequency space is shown to provide a precise fingerprint of the extracellular matrix complexity, which is well known to be related to the …

The Mammalian Neocortex New Pyramidal Neuron: A New Conception, Miguel Marín-Padilla

Dartmouth Scholarship

The new cerebral cortex (neocortex) and the new type of pyramidal neuron are mammalian innovations that have evolved for operating their increasing motor capabilities while essentially using analogous anatomical and neural makeups. The human neocortex starts to develop in 6-week-old embryos with the establishment of a primordial cortical organization, which resembles the primitive cortices of amphibian and reptiles. From the 8th to the 15th week of age, new pyramidal neurons, of ependymal origin, are progressively incorporated within this primordial cortex forming a cellular plate that divides its components into those above it (neocortex first layer) and those below it (neocortex …

Relationship Between Altitude And Lithium In Groundwater In The United States Of America: Results Of A 1992–2003 Study, Rebekah S. Huber, Namkug Kim, Carl E. Renshaw, Perry F. Renshaw, Douglas Kondo

Dartmouth Scholarship

Therapeutic dosages of lithium are known to reduce suicide rates, which has led to investigations of confounding environmental risk factors for suicide such as lithium in groundwater. It has been speculated that this might play a role in the potential relationship between suicide and altitude. A recent study in Austria involving geospatial analysis of lithium in groundwater and suicide found lower levels of lithium at higher altitudes. Since there is no reason to suspect this correlation is universal given variation in geology, the current study set out to investigate the relationship between altitude and lithium in groundwater in the United …

Multiple Epidural Steroid Injections And Body Mass Index Linked With Occurrence Of Epidural Lipomatosis: A Case Series., Rafael Jaimes, Angelo G. Rocco

Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

Epidural lipomatosis (EL) is an increase of adipose tissue, normally occurring in the epidural space, sufficient to distort the thecal sac and compress neural elements. There is a lack of knowledge of risk factors, impact on patient's symptoms, and its possible association with epidural steroid injections.

METHODS:

History, physical examination, patient chart, and MRI were analyzed from 856 outpatients referred for epidural steroid injections. Seventy patients with signs of EL on MRI comprised the study group. Thirty-four randomly selected patients comprised the control group. The severity of EL was determined by the MRI assessment. The impact of EL was …

Proposed Guidelines For The Diagnosis And Management Of Methylmalonic And Propionic Acidemia., Matthias R Baumgartner, Friederike Hörster, Carlo Dionisi-Vici, Goknur Haliloglu, Daniela Karall, Kimberly A. Chapman, +19 Additional Authors

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Methylmalonic and propionic acidemia (MMA/PA) are inborn errors of metabolism characterized by accumulation of propionic acid and/or methylmalonic acid due to deficiency of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MUT) or propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC). MMA has an estimated incidence of ~ 1: 50,000 and PA of ~ 1:100'000 -150,000. Patients present either shortly after birth with acute deterioration, metabolic acidosis and hyperammonemia or later at any age with a more heterogeneous clinical picture, leading to early death or to severe neurological handicap in many survivors. Mental outcome tends to be worse in PA and late complications include chronic kidney disease almost exclusively in MMA …

Aspirin Use And Knowledge In The Community: A Population- And Health Facility Based Survey For Measuring Local Health System Performance., Gregory A Roth, Catherine W. Gillespie, Ali A Mokdad, Danny D Shen, David W Fleming, Andy Stergachis, Christopher J L Murray, Ali H Mokdad

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relationship between cardiovascular risk, disease and actual use of aspirin in the community.

METHODS: The Measuring Disparities in Chronic Conditions (MDCC) study is a community and health facility-based survey designed to track disparities in the delivery of health interventions for common chronic diseases. MDCC includes a survey instrument designed to collect detailed information about aspirin use. In King County, WA between 2011 and 2012, we surveyed 4633 white, African American, or Hispanic adults (45% home address-based sample, 55% health facility sample). We examined self-reported counseling on, frequency of use and risks of aspirin for …

The Effectiveness Of Telemedicine For Weight Management In The Move! Program, April D. Ahrendt, Kendra K. Kattelmann, Thomas S. Rector, David A Maddox

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: To examine the effectiveness of videoconferencing technology for delivering comprehensive weight management treatment.
METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted by extraction of data from medical records for the years 2008-2010. The treatment included a series of 12 weekly MOVE!® classes delivered using videoconferencing. Data were extracted from the time of baseline weight to 1 year after baseline weight for the MOVE! participants (n = 60) and from a concurrent control group (n = 60) that did not participate in MOVE! treatment.
FINDINGS: Results indicated that the MOVE! group lost weight while the control group gained weight, resulting in …

Baseline Natural Killer And T Cell Populations Correlation With Virologic Outcome After Regimen Simplification To Atazanavir/Ritonavir Alone (Actg 5201)., John E Mckinnon, Robbie B Mailliard, Susan Swindells, Timothy J Wilkin, Luann Borowski, Jillian M Roper, + 5 More

Medicine Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: Simplified maintenance therapy with ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (ATV/r) provides an alternative treatment option for HIV-1 infection that spares nucleoside analogs (NRTI) for future use and decreased toxicity. We hypothesized that the level of immune activation (IA) and recovery of lymphocyte populations could influence virologic outcomes after regimen simplification.

METHODS: Thirty-four participants with virologic suppression ≥ 48 weeks on antiretroviral therapy (2 NRTI plus protease inhibitor) were switched to ATV/r alone in the context of the ACTG 5201 clinical trial. Flow cytometric analyses were performed on PBMC isolated from 25 patients with available samples, of which 24 had lymphocyte recovery sufficient …

Non-Emphysematous Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Is Associated With Diabetes Mellitus, Craig P. Hersh, Barry J. Make, David A. Lynch, R. Graham Barr, Russell P. Bowler, Peter M.A. Calverley, Peter J. Castaldi, Michael H. Cho, Harvey O. Coxson, Dawn L. Demeo, Marilyn G. Foreman, Meilan K. Han, Benjamin J. Harshfield, John E. Hokanson, Sharon Lutz, Joe W. Ramsdell, Elizabeth A. Regan, Stephen I. Rennard, Joyce D. Schroeder, Frank C. Sciurba, Robert M. Steiner, Ruth Tal-Singer, Edwin Van Beek, Edwin K. Silverman, James D. Crapo, Copdgene And Eclipse Investigators

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been classically divided into blue bloaters and pink puffers. The utility of these clinical subtypes is unclear. However, the broader distinction between airway-predominant and emphysema-predominant COPD may be clinically relevant. The objective was to define clinical features of emphysema-predominant and non-emphysematous COPD patients.

METHODS: Current and former smokers from the Genetic Epidemiology of COPD Study (COPDGene) had chest computed tomography (CT) scans with quantitative image analysis. Emphysema-predominant COPD was defined by low attenuation area at -950 Hounsfield Units (LAA-950) ≥10%. Non-emphysematous COPD was defined by airflow obstruction with minimal to no emphysema (LAA-950 …

The Association Of Plasma Biomarkers With Computed Tomography-Assessed Emphysema Phenotypes, Brendan J. Carolan, Grant Hughes, Jarrett Morrow, Craig P. Hersh, Wanda K. O'Neal, Stephen I. Rennard, Sreekumar G. Pillai, Paula Belloni, Debra A. Cockayne, Alejandro P. Comellas, Meilan Han, Rachel L. Zemans, Katerina Kechris, Russell P. Bowler

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

RATIONALE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a phenotypically heterogeneous disease. In COPD, the presence of emphysema is associated with increased mortality and risk of lung cancer. High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans are useful in quantifying emphysema but are associated with radiation exposure and high incidence of false positive findings (i.e., nodules). Using a comprehensive biomarker panel, we sought to determine if there was a peripheral blood biomarker signature of emphysema.

METHODS: 114 plasma biomarkers were measured using a custom assay in 588 individuals enrolled in the COPDGene study. Quantitative emphysema measurements included percent low lung attenuation (%LAA) ≤ …

Randomized Study Of The Safety, Pharmacokinetics, And Bronchodilatory Efficacy Of A Proprietary Glycopyrronium Metered-Dose Inhaler In Study Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Stephen I. Rennard, Charles Fogarty, Colin Reisner, Carlos Fernandez, Tracy Fischer, Michael Golden, Earl St Rose, Patrick Darken, Gregory Tardie, Chadwick Orevillo

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: Bronchodilator medications are central to the symptomatic management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) are the most commonly used devices to deliver treatment to patients with COPD and asthma, comprising approximately 70% of bronchodilator prescriptions. Proprietary porous-particle technology permits the formulation of long-acting muscarinic antagonists, long-acting β2-agonists, and a combination of both in hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) MDIs, providing a solution to formulation challenges inherent to the development of HFA MDIs, which have contributed to the development of dry-powder inhalers.

METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, 4-period, 6-treatment, placebo- and active-controlled, multicenter, crossover study, 4 ascending single doses of …

Prioritizing Protein Complexes Implicated In Human Diseases By Network Optimization., Yong Chen, Thibault Jacquemin, Shuyan Zhang, Rui Jiang

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: The detection of associations between protein complexes and human inherited diseases is of great importance in understanding mechanisms of diseases. Dysfunctions of a protein complex are usually defined by its member disturbance and consequently result in certain diseases. Although individual disease proteins have been widely predicted, computational methods are still absent for systematically investigating disease-related protein complexes.

RESULTS: We propose a method, MAXCOM, for the prioritization of candidate protein complexes. MAXCOM performs a maximum information flow algorithm to optimize relationships between a query disease and candidate protein complexes through a heterogeneous network that is constructed by combining protein-protein interactions …