Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Working Memory In Mild Cognitive Impairment With Serial Order Recall., Sheina Emrani, David J Libon, Melissa Lamar, Catherine C Price, Angela L Jefferson, Katherine A Gifford, Timothy J Hohman, Daniel A Nation, Lisa Delano-Wood, Amy Jak, Katherine J Bangen, Mark W Bondi, Adam M Brickman, Jennifer Manly, Rodney Swenson, Rhoda Au, Consortium For Clinical And Epidemiological Neuropsychological Data Analysis (Cenda)

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Working memory (WM) is often assessed with serial order tests such as repeating digits backward. In prior dementia research using the Backward Digit Span Test (BDT), only aggregate test performance was examined.

OBJECTIVE: The current research tallied primacy/recency effects, out-of-sequence transposition errors, perseverations, and omissions to assess WM deficits in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

METHODS: Memory clinic patients (n = 66) were classified into three groups: single domain amnestic MCI (aMCI), combined mixed domain/dysexecutive MCI (mixed/dys MCI), and non-MCI where patients did not meet criteria for MCI. Serial order/WM ability was assessed by asking participants to repeat …

Centrilobular Emphysema And Coronary Artery Calcification: Mediation Analysis In The Spiromics Cohort, Surya P. Bhatt, Hrudaya P. Nath, Young-Il Kim, Rekha Ramachandran, Jubal R. Watts, Nina L.J. Terry, Sushil Sonavane, Swati P. Deshmane, Prescott G. Woodruff, Elizabeth C. Oelsner, Sandeep Bodduluri, Meilan K. Han, Wassim W. Labaki, J. Michael Wells, Fernando J. Martinez, R. Graham Barr, Mark T. Dransfield, Spiromics Investigators

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with a two-to-five fold increase in the risk of coronary artery disease independent of shared risk factors. This association is hypothesized to be mediated by systemic inflammation but this link has not been established.

METHODS: We included 300 participants enrolled in the SPIROMICS cohort, 75 each of lifetime non-smokers, smokers without airflow obstruction, mild-moderate COPD, and severe-very severe COPD. We quantified emphysema and airway disease on computed tomography, characterized visual emphysema subtypes (centrilobular and paraseptal) and airway disease, and used the Weston visual score to quantify coronary artery calcification (CAC). We used …

Can Capture Be Used To Identify Undiagnosed Patients With Mild-To-Moderate Copd Likely To Benefit From Treatment?, Nancy K. Leidy, Fernando J. Martinez, Karen G. Malley, David M. Mannino, Meilan K. Han, Elizabeth D. Bacci, Randall W. Brown, Julia F. Houfek, Wassim W. Labaki, Barry J. Make, Catherine A. Meldrum, Wilson Quezada, Stephen I. Rennard, Byron Thomashow, Barbara P. Yawn

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: COPD Assessment in Primary Care To Identify Undiagnosed Respiratory Disease and Exacerbation Risk (CAPTURE™) uses five questions and peak expiratory flow (PEF) thresholds (males ≤350 L/min; females ≤250 L/min) to identify patients with a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV

METHODS: Data from the CAPTURE development study were used to test its sensitivity (SN) and specificity (SP) differentiating mild-to-moderate COPD (n=73) from no COPD (n=87). SN and SP for differentiating all COPD cases (mild to severe; n=259) from those without COPD (n=87) were also estimated. The modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale and COPD Assessment Test (CAT™) …

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Annamaria Marcel

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Due to the worldwide decline of biodiversity, protected nature reserves are necessary for species facing extinction. Many frog species have been experiencing rapid population decline and extinction due to the threat of the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which inflicts the highly transmittable and deadly disease chytridiomycosis. Chytridiomycosis causes increased skin tissue growth which disrupts respiration and the maintenance of water balance, which can ultimately lead to death. Certain ecological and geographical characteristics have been studied in order to assess their influence on Bd’s prevalence. Specifically, it is hypothesized that high elevations, lotic habitats, and low species richness have a positive …

The Association Between Type Of Fat And The Risk Of Developing Cardiovascular Diseases, Dovid Leib Glassner

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Objective: To determine the significance of various types of dietary fat in the progression of atherosclerosis leading to heart disease. Methods: Study inclusion criteria constituted relevance to the discussion topic and peer reviewed literature. Age of the published material was taken into account as well, with greater preference being given to more recent research as the topic of nutrition and its relation to chronic disease remains an emerging science. Results: This research review found an overall significant relationship between the type (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans-fat) of dietary fat intake and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. While earlier research identified …

El Salvador: Zika Virus, Annalia Fowler

Global Public Health

One of the current issues in El Salvador at the moment is the outbreak of Zika virus and the lack of understanding where it came from. Zika virus affects the population in many different ways. One of the most important ways that it affects the population is that it causes birth defects such as microcephaly and fetal death. In a country that already has a declining birth rate this could soon have grave effects on the population. As of right now El Salvador is working on an educational approach to stop the spread of the disease, as there is no …

Rwanda: Hiv/Aids, Alissa Anderson

Global Public Health

Rwanda is a small country in Africa. Rwanda has had many conflicts within its borders with wars, genocide, and disease. One of Rwanda’s current threats is HIV/AIDS. This disease is spreading through its population, and making it easier for other diseases; such as hepatitis and tuberculosis, to spread as well. Rwanda is a country that is putting into effect many efforts to decrease its HIV/AIDS population by means of education, campaigns, and treatments regarding the disease. In this article, I use peer reviewed and reliable articles to show the past and current issues that Rwanda has to face with the …

Microcephaly, Christianne E. Albers

Global Issues in Public Health

Microcephaly is a noncommunicable condition causing the head of an infant to be smaller than what is typical. Microcephaly can cause delays in developmental milestones and/or can cause other conditions such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, hearing loss and vision problems. Microcephaly is found more frequently in certain populations of the world than others, specifically those with an increased number of cases with Zika virus. Women need to take preventative measures to ensure their unborn child is safe from the Zika virus. The Zika virus is not the only way microcephaly can occur. Many other causes like exposure to …

Cuba: Coronary Heart Disease, Michaela Loizzi

Global Public Health

Cuba has a strong health care system with universal health care for their citizens over 40 years old. Despite the strong health care system Cuba lacks the resources necessary to treat coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the country. The country’s whole population is affected by coronary heart disease however the most affected is the lower class due unaffordable treatment. The primary causes of coronary heart disease includes their daily lifestyle such as, physical inactivity, diet, and excessive smoking. It is important to note that the major factors in Cuba leading to coronary heart disease are all …

Rest Upregulates Gremlin To Modulate Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma Vasculature, Shavali Shaik, Bridget Kennis, Shinji Maegawa, Keri Schadler, Yang Yanwen, Javad Nazarian, +Several Additional Authors

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a highly aggressive glial tumor that occurs in children. The extremely poor median and 5-year survival in children afflicted with DIPG highlights the need for novel biology-driven therapeutics. Here, we have implicated the chromatin remodeler and regulator of brain development called RE1 Silencing Transcription Factor (REST), in DIPG pathology. We show that REST protein is aberrantly elevated in at least 21% of DIPG tumors compared to normal controls. Its knockdown in DIPG cell lines diminished cell growth and decreased their tumorigenicity in mouse intracranial models. DIPGs are vascularized tumors and interestingly, REST loss in …

Percutaneous Management Of Ostial Stenosis Of The Left Internal Mammary Artery Graft, Tanuka Datta, Mohammed Gibreal, Ramesh Mazhari, Allen J. Solomon

Medicine Faculty Publications

A 61-year-old man, who had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery 10 years earlier, presented with a non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. He was treated with medical therapy and taken to the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. A left heart catheterization demonstrated an ostial stenosis in the left internal mammary artery graft, which was felt to be the culprit lesion. This was successfully repaired with a drug eluting stent. This case is presented as an unusual location for a de novo coronary stenosis. The pathophysiology of these lesions is not well understood.

A Case Of Eosinophilic Annular Erythema As A Presenting Sign For Autoimmune Hepatitis, Olabola Awosika, Kristin Totoraitis, Misty Eleryan, Monica Rengifo-Pardo, Alison Ehrlich

Dermatology Faculty Publications

Eosinophilic annular erythema (EAE) is a relatively new entity, clinically presenting as a figurate erythema. The cause of EAE remains obscure, but it has been associated with several chronic conditions and malignancies. We describe an unusual case of EAE developing before the onset of autoimmune hepatitis.

Profile Of Dupilumab And Its Potential In The Treatment Of Inadequately Controlled Moderate-To-Severe Atopic Dermatitis., Olabola Awosika, Lori Kim, Momina Mazhar, Monica Rengifo-Pardo, Alison Ehrlich

Dermatology Faculty Publications

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disorder that manifests as eczematous lesions, often associated with allergic rhinitis and asthma. Historically, moderate-to-severe disease has been managed with systemic immunosuppression, such as oral corticosteroids, which result in relapse and limiting side effects. Due to recent advancements in the identification of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 as key mediators in AD, new biological agents have been developed for treatment. Dupilumab is a recently approved monoclonal antibody that targets the alpha subunit of the IL-4 receptor and, thus, downregulates activity of IL-4 and IL-13. This review discusses the profile of dupilumab and its …

Association Of Two Foxp3 Polymorphisms With Breast Cancer In Chinese Han Women, Wenge Zhu, +Several Additional Authors

Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) is a key gene in the immune system which also plays a role in tumor development. This study aims to explore the association of two FOXP3 polymorphisms (rs3761548 and rs3761549) with susceptibility to breast cancer (BC).

Method

A case–control study was conducted, involving 560 patients and 583 healthy individuals from the Chinese Han population. The genotypes of FOXP3 polymorphisms were detected using the Sequenom MassARRAY method. The association between FOXP3 polymorphisms and BC risk was evaluated using a χ2 test with an odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) under six …

Aberrant Brain Functional Connectivity In Newborns With Congenital Heart Disease Before Cardiac Surgery, Josepheen De Asis-Cruz, Mary T. Donofrio, Gilbert Vezina, Catherine Limperopoulos

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) requiring open heart surgery are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities. Recent quantitative MRI studies have reported disrupted growth, microstructure, and metabolism in fetuses and newborns with complex CHD. To date, no study has examined whether functional brain connectivity is altered in this high-risk population after birth, before surgery. Our objective was to compare whole-brain functional connectivity of resting state networks in healthy, term newborns (n = 82) and in term neonates with CHD before surgery (n = 30) using graph theory and network-based statistics. We report for the first time intact global network …

Comparison Between Different Strategies Of Rheumatic Heart Disease Echocardiographic Screening In Brazil: Data From The Provar (Rheumatic Valve Disease Screening Program) Study, B Nascimento, Craig A. Sable, M Nunes, A Diamantino, K Oliveira, Andrea Z. Beaton, +Several Additional Authors

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background-—Considering the limited accuracy of clinical examination for early diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease (RHD), echocardiography has emerged as an important epidemiological tool. The ideal setting for screening is yet to be defined. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and pattern of latent RHD in schoolchildren (aged 5–18 years) and to compare effectiveness of screening between public schools, private schools, and primary care centers in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Methods and Results-—The PROVAR (Rheumatic Valve Disease Screening Program) study uses nonexperts and portable and handheld devices for RHD echocardiographic screening, with remote interpretation by telemedicine, according to the 2012 World Heart …

Treatment Challenges In An Atypical Presentation Of Tubulointerstitial Nephritis And Uveitis (Tinu), S Caplash, S Gangaputra, S Kodati, Shamir Tuchman, Hemalatha Srinivasalu, H Sen

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Purpose: To describe an atypical presentation of Tubulointerstitial Nephritis and Uveitis (TINU), with challenges in treatment course. Observations: A 12-year-old Hispanic female presented to the National Eye Institute's Uveitis clinic with bilateral blurred vision, red eyes and photophobia, not responsive to topical steroids. On exam, she had bilateral severe panuveitis with areas of subretinal fluid. During her evaluation, she was noted to have elevated serum creatinine. A kidney biopsy confirmed the presence of severe tubulointerstitial nephritis and interstitial fibrosis. She was treated with oral steroids with excellent resolution of symptoms and subretinal fluid. She continued to have anterior segment flares …

The Neurodevelopmental Perspective Of Surgical Necrotizing Enterocolitis: The Role Of The Gut-Brain Axis., Chariton Moschopoulos, Panagiotis Kratimenos, Ioannis Koutroulis, Bhairav V Shah, Anja Mowes, Vineet Bhandari

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

This state-of-the-art review article aims to highlight the most recent evidence about the therapeutic options of surgical necrotizing enterocolitis, focusing on the molecular basis of the gut-brain axis in relevance to the neurodevelopmental outcomes of primary peritoneal drainage and primary laparotomy. Current evidence favors primary laparotomy over primary peritoneal drainage as regards neurodevelopment in the surgical treatment of necrotizing enterocolitis. The added exposure to inhalational anesthesia in infants undergoing primary laparotomy is an additional confounding variable but requires further study. The concept of the gut-brain axis suggests that bowel injury initiates systemic inflammation potentially affecting the developing central nervous system. …

Better Bone Health: Health Community Clinic, Naijah Hughes, Dakota Turnage, Kintara Williams, Christopher Fangna

DC Health and Academic Prep Program (DC HAPP)

Osteoporosis affects the quality of life, the ability to work, and basic activities of daily living. Osteoporosis is a disease marked by reduced bone strength leading to an increase in fractures. Every day, our body breaks down old bone and puts new bone in its place. As we get older, our bones break down more bone than they put back. If you do not take the steps to keep your bones healthy, you may lose too much bone and osteoporosis may develop. Men and women are both affected by osteoporosis. In the United States, an estimated 5.3 million people aged …

Pre- And Post-Diagnosis Physical Activity, Television Viewing, And Mortality Among Hematologic Cancer Survivors., Daniela Schmid, Gundula Behrens, Hannah Arem, Christina Hart, Wolfgang Herr, Carmen Jochem, Charles E Matthews, Michael F Leitzmann

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: The associations of physical activity and television (TV) viewing with mortality risk among individuals with hematologic malignancies remain unclear.

METHODS: We examined the relations of physical activity and TV viewing time before and after diagnosis with mortality among 5182 U.S. adults aged 50-71 years from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study cohort who survived a first primary hematologic cancer between 1995-1996 and 2011.

RESULTS: For the pre- and post-diagnosis analyses, we confirmed 2606 and 613 deaths respectively. In multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression models, comparing high (≥4 hrs/wk) versus low (/wk) activity levels, pre-diagnosis physical activity was associated with …

Impact Of Chronic Sexual Abuse And Depression On Inflammation And Wound Healing In The Female Reproductive Tract Of Hiv-Uninfected And Hiv-Infected Women., Mimi Ghosh, Jason Daniels, Maria Pyra, Monika Juzumaite, Mariel Jais, Kerry Murphy, Tonya N Taylor, Seble Kassaye, Lorie Benning, Mardge Cohen, Kathleen Weber

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Sexual violence is associated with increased risk of HIV acquisition/transmission in women. Forced sex can result in physical trauma to the reproductive tract as well as severe psychological distress. However, immuno-biological mechanisms linking sexual violence and HIV susceptibility are incompletely understood. Using the Women's Interagency HIV Study repository, a total of 77 women were selected to form 4 groups, stratified by HIV serostatus, in the following categories: 1) no sexual abuse history and low depressive symptom score (below clinically significant cut-off, scores

Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Hiv-Infected Individuals In The District Of Columbia And Estimated Hiv Transmission Risk: Data From The Dc Cohort, Jose Lucar, Rachel Hart, Nabil Rayeed, Arpi Terzian, Amy Weintrob, Amanda D. Castel, Debra A. Benator, Dc Cohort Executive Committee

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background

Washington, DC, has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the United States. Sexual intercourse is the leading mode of HIV transmission, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a risk factor for HIV acquisition and transmission.

Methods

We evaluated the incidence and demographic factors associated with chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis among HIV-infected persons enrolled at 13 DC Cohort sites from 2011 to 2015. Using Poisson regression, we assessed covariates of risk for incident STIs. We also examined HIV viral loads (VLs) at the time of STI diagnosis as a proxy for HIV transmission risk.

Results

Six point …

Rhythm: An Open Source Imaging Toolkit For Cardiac Panoramic Optical Mapping, Christopher Gloschat, Kedar Aras, Shubnam Gupta, N. Rokhana Faye, Hanyu Zhang, Matthew W. Kay, Igor R Efimov, +Several Additional Authors

Pharmacology and Physiology Faculty Publications

Fluorescence optical imaging techniques have revolutionized the field of cardiac electrophysiology and advanced our understanding of complex electrical activities such as arrhythmias. However, traditional monocular optical mapping systems, despite having high spatial resolution, are restricted to a two-dimensional (2D) field of view. Consequently, tracking complex three-dimensional (3D) electrical waves such as during ventricular fibrillation is challenging as the waves rapidly move in and out of the field of view. This problem has been solved by panoramic imaging which uses multiple cameras to measure the electrical activity from the entire epicardial surface. However, the diverse engineering skill set and substantial resource …

Epithelial Cell Lysates Induce Exos Expression And Secretion By Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Victoria Hritonenko, Matteo Metruccio, David J. Evans, Suzanne Fleiszig

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Wearable Fitness Devices On Pediatric Obesity: An Integrative Literature Review, Kevin Sabina

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Childhood obesity is a foremost concern throughout the health care community. Approximately 17.6% of the pediatric population meet the criteria for obesity, which can lead to health disparities later in life, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. Emerging mobile and wearable lifestyle tracking devices can be a viable solution to the challenging problem of childhood obesity through behavior changes, feasibility, and adherence. The purpose of this literature review was to determine the effect that mobile and wearable activity tracking devices have on the obese pediatric population. A centralized review of the literature was conducted using various …

Reducing The Rate Of Misdiagnosis Of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Isabelle C. Gill

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a common yet frequently misdiagnosed dysautonomia characterized by a significant increase in heart rate upon standing. POTS patients experience severe fatigue, dizziness, pre-syncope, and a diminished quality of life. The intent of this thesis is to investigate factors contributing to POTS misdiagnosis and develop a proposal for improving diagnostic procedures. The first part of this thesis presents an overview of other frequently misdiagnosed conditions, providing an understanding of the basis for the diagnostic problems in POTS and methods to combat such difficulties. The second part of this thesis details a meta-analysis performed on POTS …

How Can The Humanities Treat Hiv/Aids? An Interview With Dale Smith, Amita Rao, Emily Furlich, Dale Smith

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Researching The History Of Hiv/Aids: An Interview With Christopher Ewing, Emily Furlich

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Empagliflozin On Insulin Sensitivity In The Lean And Obese Zucker Rat: A Model Of Metabolic Syndrome, Veda Gayatri Sushma Penta

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Metabolic syndrome is one of the fastest growing health problems in the world. The medical costs associated with treating this disorder are staggering. Allowed to proceed untreated, metabolic syndrome can lead to a markedly decreased quality of life and a variety of medical conditions including heart and kidney failure. Whether the sodium glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor Empagliflozin can be used to prevent the development of metabolic syndrome is not well understood. This proposal is specifically designed to address this gap in our knowledge. The expected outcomes of this work will identify the time course and degree of interrelatedness between changes …

Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Signaling Pathway In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Progression, Pathogenesis, And Therapeutics, Divya Murthy, Kuldeep S. Attri, Pankaj K. Singh

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy characterized by its sudden manifestation, rapid progression, poor prognosis, and limited therapeutic options. Genetic alterations in key signaling pathways found in early pancreatic lesions are pivotal for the development and progression of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplastic lesions into invasive carcinomas. More than 90% of PDAC tumors harbor driver mutations in K-Ras that activate various downstream effector-signaling pathways, including the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. The PI3K pathway also responds to stimuli from various growth factor receptors present on the cancer cell surface that, in turn, modulate downstream signaling cascades. Thus, the inositide signaling acts …