Digital Commons Network^™

Referrals To A Regional Allergy Clinic - An Eleven Year Audit., Ray B. Jones, Paul Hewson, Edward R. Kaminski

School of Nursing and Midwifery

BACKGROUND: Allergy is a serious and apparently increasing public health problem yet relatively little is known about the types of allergy seen in routine tertiary practice, including their spatial distribution, co-occurrence or referral patterns. This study reviewed referrals over an eleven year period to a regional allergy clinic that had a well defined geographical boundary. For those patients confirmed as having an allergy we explored: (i) differences over time and by demographics, (ii) types of allergy, (iii) co-occurrence, and (iv) spatial distributions. METHODS: Data were extracted from consultant letters to GPs, from September 1998 to September 2009, for patients confirmed …

Acetate Causes Alcohol Hangover Headache In Rats., Christina R Maxwell, Rebecca Jay Spangenberg, Jan B Hoek, Stephen D Silberstein, Michael L Oshinsky

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The mechanism of veisalgia cephalgia or hangover headache is unknown. Despite a lack of mechanistic studies, there are a number of theories positing congeners, dehydration, or the ethanol metabolite acetaldehyde as causes of hangover headache.

METHODS: We used a chronic headache model to examine how pure ethanol produces increased sensitivity for nociceptive behaviors in normally hydrated rats.

RESULTS: Ethanol initially decreased sensitivity to mechanical stimuli on the face (analgesia), followed 4 to 6 hours later by inflammatory pain. Inhibiting alcohol dehydrogenase extended the analgesia whereas inhibiting aldehyde dehydrogenase decreased analgesia. Neither treatment had nociceptive effects. Direct administration of acetate …

Chronic Spontaneous Activity Generated In The Somata Of Primary Nociceptors Is Associated With Pain-Related Behavior After Spinal Cord Injury, Supinder S Bedi, Qing Yang, Robyn J Crook, Junhui Du, Zizhen Wu, Harvey M Fishman, Raymond J Grill, Susan M Carlton, Edgar T Walters

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mechanisms underlying chronic pain that develops after spinal cord injury (SCI) are incompletely understood. Most research on SCI pain mechanisms has focused on neuronal alterations within pain pathways at spinal and supraspinal levels associated with inflammation and glial activation. These events might also impact central processes of primary sensory neurons, triggering in nociceptors a hyperexcitable state and spontaneous activity (SA) that drive behavioral hypersensitivity and pain. SCI can sensitize peripheral fibers of nociceptors and promote peripheral SA, but whether these effects are driven by extrinsic alterations in surrounding tissue or are intrinsic to the nociceptor, and whether similar SA occurs …

Routine Opt-Out Hiv Testing In Jails: Findings From Two Prospective Controlled Trials, Ravi Kavasery

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: Tens of millions of Americans enter jails annually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends routine HIV testing in prisons and jails. The logistics for performing routine HIV testing within jails, however, remains controversial. Specific Aims: 1) To simulate and explore the feasibility of future implementation of a routine opt-out HIV testing protocol using rapid testing methods in the often-chaotic jail setting. 2) To evaluate the optimal time to perform routine HIV testing among inmates who are competent to consent to testing, in a manner that not only maximizes public health but also attends to the safety …

The Armadillo Repeat Protein Pf16 Is Essential For Flagellar Structure And Function In Plasmodium Male Gametes, Ursula Straschil, Arthur M. Talman, David J. P. Ferguson, Karen A. Bunting, Zhengyao Xu, Elizabeth Bailes, Robert E. Sinden, Anthony A. Holder, Elizabeth F. Smith

Dartmouth Scholarship

Malaria, caused by the apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium, threatens 40% of the world's population. Transmission between vertebrate and insect hosts depends on the sexual stages of the life-cycle. The male gamete of Plasmodium parasite is the only developmental stage that possesses a flagellum. Very little is known about the identity or function of proteins in the parasite's flagellar biology. Here, we characterise a Plasmodium PF16 homologue using reverse genetics in the mouse malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. PF16 is a conserved Armadillo-repeat protein that regulates flagellar structure and motility in organisms as diverse as green algae and mice. We show that …

A Case Study In Unethical Transgressive Bioethics: "Letter Of Concern From Bioethicists" About The Prenatal Administration Of Dexamethasone., Laurence B Mccullough, Frank A Chervenak, Robert L Brent, Benjamin Hippen

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

On February 3, 2010, a "Letter of Concern from Bioethicists," organized by fetaldex.org, was sent to report suspected violations of the ethics of human subjects research in the off-label use of dexamethasone during pregnancy by Dr. Maria New. Copies of this letter were submitted to the FDA Office of Pediatric Therapeutics, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office for Human Research Protections, and three universities where Dr. New has held or holds appointments. We provide a critical appraisal of the Letter of Concern and show that it makes false claims, misrepresents scientific publications and websites, fails to meet …

Noninvasive Fluorescence Monitoring Of Protoporphyrin Ix Production And Clinical Outcomes In Actinic Keratoses Following Short-Contact Application Of 5-Aminolevulinate, Christine B. Warren, Sara Lohser, Lauren C. Wene, Brian W. Pogue, Philip Bailin, Edward Maytin

Dartmouth Scholarship

Topical 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is widely used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) of actinic keratoses (AK), a type of premalignant skin lesion. However, the optimal time between ALA application and exposure to light has not been carefully investigated. Our objective is to study the kinetics of protoporphyrin IX (P_pIX) accumulation in AK after short contact ALA and relate this to erythemal responses. Using a noninvasive dosimeter, P_pIX fluorescence measurements (5 replicates) were taken at 20-min intervals for 2 h following ALA application, in 63 AK in 20 patients. Data were analyzed for maximal fluorescent signal obtained, kinetic …

Identification Of Methylated Genes Associated With Aggressive Bladder Cancer, Carmen J. Marsit, E. Andres Houseman, Brock C. Christensen, Luc Gagne, Margaret R. Wrensch, Heather H. Nelson, Joseph Weimels, Shichun Zheng, John K. Wiencke, Angeline S. Andrew, Alan R. Schned, Margaret R. Karagas, Karl T. Kelsey

Dartmouth Scholarship

Approximately 500,000 individuals diagnosed with bladder cancer in the U.S. require routine cystoscopic follow-up to monitor for disease recurrences or progression, resulting in over $ 2 billion in annual expenditures. Identification of new diagnostic and monitoring strategies are clearly needed, and markers related to DNA methylation alterations hold great promise due to their stability, objective measurement, and known associations with the disease and with its clinical features. To identify novel epigenetic markers of aggressive bladder cancer, we utilized a high-throughput DNA methylation bead-array in two distinct population-based series of incident bladder cancer (n = 73 and n = 264, respectively). …

Asian Race/Ethnicity As A Risk Factor For Bile Duct Injury During Cholecystectomy., Stephanie R. Downing, Ghazala Datoo, Tolulope A. Oyetunji, Terrence Fullum, David C. Chang, Nita Ahuja

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Iatrogenic bile duct injury (BDI) is an uncommon but serious complication of cholecystectomy, with identified risk factors of acute cholecystitis, male sex, older age, and aberrant biliary anatomy. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (1998-2006) was queried for cholecystectomy performed on hospital day 0 or 1. Bile duct injury repair procedure codes were used as a surrogate for BDI. We identified 377,424 patients who underwent cholecystectomy, with 1124 BDIs (0.3%). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, Asian race/ethnicity was a significant risk factor for BDI (odds ratio [OR], 2.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59-3.23; P < .001). This persisted for laparoscopic (OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.28-5.39; P = .009) and open (2.21; 1.59-3.07; P < .001) cholecystectomies. No other race/ethnicity was identified as a risk factor for BDI. We report a new finding that Asian race/ethnicity is a significant risk factor for BDI in laparoscopic and open cholecystectomies.

The Perils Of The Imperfect Expectation Of The Perfect Baby., Frank A Chervenak, Laurence B Mccullough, Robert L Brent

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Advances in modern medicine invite the assumption that medicine can control human biology. There is a perilous logic that leads from expectations of medicine's control over reproductive biology to the expectation of having a perfect baby. This article proposes that obstetricians should take a preventive ethics approach to the care of pregnant women with expectations for a perfect baby. We use Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic short story, "The Birthmark," to illustrate the perils of the logic of control and perfection through science and then identify possible contemporary sources of the expectation of the perfect baby. We propose that the informed consent …

Spontaneous Disconnection Of Glaucoma Tube Shunt Extenders., Oseluese Dawodu, Alex V. Levin

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Glaucoma drainage implants are frequently used in children with severe forms of glaucoma, and tube extenders are sometimes required to compensate for ocular growth or when the intraocular portion of the tube is thought to be too short. We report 2 cases of spontaneous disconnection of a tube extender, occurring 8 months after insertion in one case and 3 years later in the other. In both cases the tube was removed and the patient treated with endoscopic diode laser photocoagulation.

Meditation Acutely Improves Psychomotor Vigilance, And May Decrease Sleep Need, Prashant Kaul, Jason Passafiume, Craig R. Sargent, Bruce F. O'Hara

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: A number of benefits from meditation have been claimed by those who practice various traditions, but few have been well tested in scientifically controlled studies. Among these claims are improved performance and decreased sleep need. Therefore, in these studies we assess whether meditation leads to an immediate performance improvement on a well validated psychomotor vigilance task (PVT), and second, whether longer bouts of meditation may alter sleep need.

METHODS: The primary study assessed PVT reaction times before and after 40 minute periods of mediation, nap, or a control activity using a within subject cross-over design. This study utilized novice …

Vestibular Heading Discrimination And Sensitivity To Linear Acceleration In Head And World Coordinates, Paul R. Macneilage, Martin S. Banks, Gregory C. Deangelis, Dora E. Angelaki

Open Access Publications

Effective navigation and locomotion depend critically on an observer's ability to judge direction of linear self-motion, i.e., heading. The vestibular cue to heading is the direction of inertial acceleration that accompanies transient linear movements. This cue is transduced by the otolith organs. The otoliths also respond to gravitational acceleration, so vestibular heading discrimination could depend on (1) the direction of movement in head coordinates (i.e., relative to the otoliths), (2) the direction of movement in world coordinates (i.e., relative to gravity), or (3) body orientation (i.e., the direction of gravity relative to the otoliths). To quantify these effects, we measured …

The Role Of Gender In Single Vs Married Individuals With Bipolar Disorder., Daniel Z Lieberman, Suena H Massey, Frederick K Goodwin

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Despite the importance of marriage as a source of social support, it has been largely neglected in studies of bipolar disorder; and differential effects on men and women have not been explored.

METHODS: Data on episodes of depression, mania, and mixed states were collected for the previous 2 years from a sample of 282 bipolar individuals using the National Institute of Mental Health Life Chart Methodology.

RESULTS: Effects unique to women included the following: Bipolar women were significantly more likely to be married. Married women had fewer episodes of depression during the past 2 years than never-married women, and …

A Randomized Comparison Of Online And Paper Mood Charts For People With Bipolar Disorder., Daniel Z Lieberman, Tammas F Kelly, Lanny Douglas, Frederick K Goodwin

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Longitudinal mood instability is the essential feature of bipolar disorder, however most rating scales are cross sectional in nature, and focus on acute symptoms. By contrast, the NIMH Life Chart Methodology (LCM) characterizes in detail the severity, duration, and frequency of mood episodes. Adherence to daily rating, however, tends to be low. In this study an online version of the LCM, designed to enhance adherence, was compared to the standard paper version.

METHODS: Patients from a mood disorders specialty clinic were randomized to the standard LCM or an online, open-source adaptation. The online version used hypertext links embedded in …

The Significance Of The Male Display During Male-Male Interactions In Guppies (Poecilia Reticulata), Rebecca Nuffer, Samantha M. Alburn

Biological Sciences

Guppies, Poecilia reticulata, are a model species for studies of female preference based on male courtship displays; however, males also display to each other in an aggressive context, and little attention has been paid to the role of male-male displays. The display involves a male positioning his body in front or to the side of another male, arching his body, and quivering with his dorsal fin splayed. To understand what behaviors elicit a male display, we assigned individual males a dominance status. We then examined the relationship between dominance status and the number of displays delivered and received. By …

The Risks And Benefits Of Long-Term Use Of Hydroxyurea In Sickle Cell Anemia: A 17.5 Year Follow-Up., M. H. Steinberg, W. F. Mccarthy, O. Castro, S. K. Ballas, F. D. Armstrong, W. Smith, K. Ataga, P. Swerdlow, A. Kutlar, L. Decastro, M. A. Waclawiw, E. Orringer, S. Jones, D. Strayhorn, W. Rosse, G. Phillips, D. Pearce, A. Johnson-Telfair, L. Daitch, P. Milner, A. Tracy, S. Valdez, G. E. Allen, J. Moshang, B. Scott, C. Bigelow, A. Anderson, V. Sabahi, T. Harrington, W. Labrousse, C. Pegelow, D. Temple, E. Case, R. Harrell, S. Childerie, S. Embury, B. Schmidt, D. Davies, Y. Saunthararajah, M. Koshy, N. Talischy-Zahed, L. Dorn, G. Pendarvis, M. Mcgee, M. Telfer, A. Davis, O. C. Onyekwere, C. Nwokolo, H. Finke, E. Perlin, J. Siteman, M. Bryan, T. Saunders, Y. Barber, P. Gascon, P. Di Paolo, S. Gargiulo, J. Eckman, E. Carter-Randall, J. H. Bailey, A. Platt, L. Waller, G. Ramirez, V. Knors, S. Hernandez, E. M. Rodriguez, E. Wilkes, E. Vichinsky, W. Hagar, C. Hoehner, E. Hackney-Stevens, S. Claster, A. Earles, K. Kleman, K. Mclaughlin, L. White, B. Maddox, L. Usry, A. Brenner, K. Williams, R. O'Brien, K. Genther, S. Shurin, B. Berman, K. Chiarucci, L. Keverline, N. Olivieri, J. Chow, M. Hui, D. Shaw, N. Lewis, M. Okam, E. Mandell, A. Palmer, K. Bridges, B. Tynan, C. Winograd, R. Bellevue, H. Dosik, M. Sheikhai, P. Ryans, H. Souffrant, B. Adler, A. Johnson-Telfair, L. Eskridge, J. Prchal, J. Braddock, T. Mcardle, T. Carlos, A. Roundtree-Schmotzer, D. Gardner

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

A randomized, controlled clinical trial established the efficacy and safety of short-term use of hydroxyurea in adult sickle cell anemia. To examine the risks and benefits of long-term hydroxyurea usage, patients in this trial were followed for 17.5 years during which they could start or stop hydroxyurea. The purpose of this follow-up was to search for adverse outcomes and estimate mortality. For each outcome and for mortality, exact 95% confidence intervals were calculated, or tests were conducted at alpha = 0.05 level (P-value <0.05 for statistical significance). Although the death rate in the overall study cohort was high (43.1%; 4.4 per 100 person-years), mortality was reduced in individuals with long-term exposure to hydroxyurea. Survival curves demonstrated a significant reduction in deaths with long-term exposure. Twenty-four percent of deaths were due to pulmonary complications; 87.1% occurred in patients who never took hydroxyurea or took it for <5 years. Stroke, organ dysfunction, infection, and malignancy were similar in all groups. Our results, while no longer the product of a randomized study because of the ethical concerns of withholding an efficacious treatment, suggest that long-term use of hydroxyurea is safe and might decrease mortality.

Cannabinoid-Mediated Inhibition Of Recurrent Excitatory Circuitry In The Dentate Gyrus In A Mouse Model Of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Muthu D. Bhaskaran, Bret N. Smith

Physiology Faculty Publications

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a neurological condition associated with neuron loss, axon sprouting, and hippocampal sclerosis, which results in modified synaptic circuitry. Cannabinoids appear to be anti-convulsive in patients and animal models of TLE, but the mechanisms of this effect are not known. A pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus mouse model of TLE was used to study the effect of cannabinoid agonists on recurrent excitatory circuits of the dentate gyrus using electrophysiological recordings in hippocampal slices isolated from control mice and mice with TLE. Cannabinoid agonists WIN 55,212-2, anandamide (AEA), or 2-arachydonoylglycerol (2-AG) reduced the frequency of spontaneous and tetrodotoxin-resistant excitatory …

In-Theater Peritoneal Dialysis For Combat-Related Renal Failure, Joseph S. Pina, Soraya Moghadam, Howard M. Cushner, Greg J. Beilman, Vivian C. Mcalister

Surgery Publications

BACKGROUND: Complications of renal failure may prevent timely evacuation of injured soldiers. Conventional renal replacement therapy is not available in forward surgical units. METHODS: Records of in-theater improvised peritoneal dialysis (IPD) in level III hospitals or forward surgical units in Iraq or Afghanistan were reviewed to determine the following: cause of renal failure and associated injuries; type of dialysate, peritoneal access, and exchange technique; and patient outcome. These data were used to propose method for IPD using commonly available materials. RESULTS: IPD is described in four patients. Abdominal or chest drains were used with either improvised dextrose-electrolyte solution or commercial …

Perfusion In Rat Brain At 7 T With Arterial Spin Labeling Using Fair-Truefisp And Quipss, Emilio Esparza-Coss, Jarek Wosik, Ponnada A Narayana

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Measurement of perfusion in longitudinal studies allows for the assessment of tissue integrity and the detection of subtle pathologies. In this work, the feasibility of measuring brain perfusion in rats with high spatial resolution using arterial spin labeling is reported. A flow-sensitive alternating recovery sequence, coupled with a balanced gradient fast imaging with steady-state precession readout section was used to minimize ghosting and geometric distortions, while achieving high signal-to-noise ratio. The quantitative imaging of perfusion using a single subtraction method was implemented to address the effects of variable transit delays between the labeling of spins and their arrival at the …

Basal Insulin Requirements On Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion During The First 12 Months After Diagnosis Of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus., Neesha Ramchandani, Mary Kristine Ellis, Shobhit Jain, Sonal Bhandari, Henry Anhalt, Noel K. Maclaren, Svetlana Ten

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: While the endogenous first-phase insulin response has disappeared by the time of diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), anecdotal evidence suggests that these patients can continue to have a second-phase insulin response during the first 12 months after diagnosis. We hypothesized that patients who are started on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) at the time of diagnosis of T1DM would have a lower basal insulin requirement than the 40-60% usually expected.

METHODS: We analyzed 38 patients with T1DM, age 9.9 +/- 6.4 years, 71% male, who were started on CSII within the first month of diagnosis.

RESULTS: Average …

The Assessment Of Disability Related To Vision Performance-Based Measure In Diabetic Retinopathy., Kevin J. Warrian, Luciano L. Lorenzana, Dara Lankaranian, Jyoti Dugar, Sheryl S. Wizov, George L. Spaeth

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To validate a third-generation performance-based measure of visual function titled "Assessment of Disability Related to Vision" (ADREV) in a study population of patients with diabetic retinopathy.

DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional study.

METHODS: Patients with nonproliferative or proliferative diabetic retinopathy, free from ocular comorbidity, were recruited from a single institute and completed the ADREV, the 25-Item National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (VFQ-25), and a clinical ophthalmic examination. Correlation, regression, and bootstrap analysis were conducted to determine the relationship between ADREV scoring and each of the study's clinical and self-report measures of visual ability, while controlling for potential confounders.

RESULTS: Ninety-one …

Molecular Dissection Of I(A) In Cortical Pyramidal Neurons Reveals Three Distinct Components Encoded By Kv4.2, Kv4.3, And Kv1.4 Alpha-Subunits, Aaron J. Norris, Jeanne M. Nerbonne

Open Access Publications

The rapidly activating and inactivating voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) current, I(A), is broadly expressed in neurons and is a key regulator of action potential repolarization, repetitive firing, backpropagation (into dendrites) of action potentials, and responses to synaptic inputs. Interestingly, results from previous studies on a number of neuronal cell types, including hippocampal, cortical, and spinal neurons, suggest that macroscopic I(A) is composed of multiple components and that each component is likely encoded by distinct Kv channel alpha-subunits. The goals of the experiments presented here were to test this hypothesis and to determine the molecular identities of the Kv channel alpha-subunits that …

S9511: A Southwest Oncology Group Phase Ii Study Of Trimetrexate, 5-Fluorouracil, And Leucovorin In Unresectable Or Metastatic Adenocarcinoma Of The Stomach, Charles D Blanke, Kari Chansky, Kathy L Christman, Scott A Hundahl, Brian F Issell, Peter J Van Veldhuizen, G Thomas Budd, James L Abbruzzese, John S Macdonald

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this trial was to evaluate the response rate for trimetrexate in conjunction with 5-FU and leucovorin (LV) (= TFL) in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer in a phase II, cooperative group setting.

METHODS: Patients with locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the stomach received trimetrexate 110 mg/m IV over 60 minutes day 1, followed by 5-FU 500 mg/m IV bolus and LV 200 mg/m IV over 60 minutes day 2, followed by oral LV 15 mg every 6 hours x 7 doses, all weekly for 6 weeks followed by 2 weeks of rest, …

Differential Activation Of Frontoparietal Attention Networks By Social And Symbolic Spatial Cues, Andrew D. Engell, Lauri Nummenmaa, Nikolaas N. Oosterhof, Richard N. Henson, James V. Haxby, Andrew J. Calder

Dartmouth Scholarship

Perception of both gaze-direction and symbolic directional cues (e.g. arrows) orient an observer’s attention toward the indicated location. It is unclear, however, whether these similar behavioral effects are examples of the same attentional phenomenon and, therefore, subserved by the same neural substrate. It has been proposed that gaze, given its evolutionary significance, constitutes a ‘special’ category of spatial cue. As such, it is predicted that the neural systems supporting spatial reorienting will be different for gaze than for non-biological symbols. We tested this prediction using functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure the brain’s response during target localization in which laterally …

Dopamine Neuron Stimulating Actions Of A Gdnf Propeptide, Luke H. Bradley, Josh Fuqua, April Richardson, Jadwiga Turchan-Cholewo, Yi Ai, Kristen A. Kelps, John D. Glass, Xiuquan He, Zhiming Zhang, Richard Grondin, O. Meagan Littrell, Peter Huettl, Francois Pomerleau, Don M. Gash, Greg A. Gerhardt

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Neurotrophic factors, such as glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), have shown great promise for protection and restoration of damaged or dying dopamine neurons in animal models and in some Parkinson's disease (PD) clinical trials. However, the delivery of neurotrophic factors to the brain is difficult due to their large size and poor bio-distribution. In addition, developing more efficacious trophic factors is hampered by the difficulty of synthesis and structural modification. Small molecules with neurotrophic actions that are easy to synthesize and modify to improve bioavailability are needed.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: Here we present the neurobiological actions of dopamine …

Bold Signal In Both Ipsilateral And Contralateral Retinotopic Cortex Modulates With Perceptual Fading, Po-Jang Hsieh, Peter U. Tse

Dartmouth Scholarship

Under conditions of visual fixation, perceptual fading occurs when a stationary object, though present in the world and continually casting light upon the retina, vanishes from visual consciousness. The neural correlates of the consciousness of such an object will presumably modulate in activity with the onset and cessation of perceptual fading.

Method: In order to localize the neural correlates of perceptual fading, a green disk that had been individually set to be equiluminant with the orange background, was presented in one of the four visual quadrants; Subjects indicated with a button press whether or not the disk was subjectively visible …

Erk1/2-Akt1 Crosstalk Regulates Arteriogenesis In Mice And Zebrafish, Bin Ren, Yong Deng, Arpita Mukhopadhyay, Anthony A. Lanahan, Zhen W. Zhuang, Karen L. Moodie, Mary Jo Mulligan-Kehoe, Tatiana V. Byzova, Randall T. Peterson, Michael Simons

Dartmouth Scholarship

Arterial morphogenesis is an important and poorly understood process. In particular, the signaling events controlling arterial formation have not been established. We evaluated whether alterations in the balance between ERK1/2 and PI3K signaling pathways could stimulate arterial formation in the setting of defective arterial morphogenesis in mice and zebrafish. Increased ERK1/2 activity in mouse ECs with reduced VEGF responsiveness was achieved in vitro and in vivo by downregulating PI3K activity, suppressing Akt1 but not Akt2 expression, or introducing a constitutively active ERK1/2 construct. Such restoration of ERK1/2 activation was sufficient to restore impaired arterial development and branching morphogenesis in synectin-deficient …

Schedule For Ct Image Guidance In Treating Prostate Cancer With Helical Tomotherapy., G Beldjoudi, S Yartsev, G Bauman, Jerry J. Battista Dr., Jacob Van Dyk

Oncology Publications

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of reducing the number of image guidance sessions and patient-specific target margins on the dose distribution in the treatment of prostate cancer with helical tomotherapy. 20 patients with prostate cancer who were treated with helical tomotherapy using daily megavoltage CT (MVCT) imaging before treatment served as the study population. The average geometric shifts applied for set-up corrections, as a result of co-registration of MVCT and planning kilovoltage CT studies over an increasing number of image guidance sessions, were determined. Simulation of the consequences of various imaging scenarios on the dose …

Cardiomyocyte-Derived Adiponectin Is Biologically Active In Protecting Against Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury., Yajing Wang, Wayne Bond Lau, Erhe Gao, Ling Tao, Yuexing Yuan, Rong Li, Xiaoliang Wang, Walter J. Koch, Xin-Liang Ma

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Adiponectin (APN) has traditionally been viewed as an adipocyte-specific endocrine molecule with cardioprotective effects. Recent studies suggest that APN is also expressed in cardiomyocytes. However, biological significances of this locally produced APN remain completely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the pathological and pharmacological significance of cardiac-derived APN in cardiomyocyte pathology. Adult cardiomyocytes from wild-type littermates (WT) or gene-deficient mice were pretreated with vehicle (V) or rosiglitazone (RSG) for 6 h followed by simulated ischemia-reperfusion (SI/R, 3 h/12 h). Compared with WT cardiomyocytes, myocytes from APN knockout (APN-KO) mice sustained greater SI/R injury, evidenced by greater oxidative/nitrative …