Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Correlating Wet-Sample Electron Microscopy With Light Scattering Spectroscopy On The Example Of Polymeric Microgels, Christian Gunder

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

Amphiphilic cellulose-based microgels with a reversible volume-phase transition at around 40.5°C—the low critical solution temperature (LCST)—have been synthesized, characterized, and optimized. After carefully planned synthesis and filtering the samples with a 0.22μm filter microgels were characterized with dynamic light scattering (DLS), yielding reproducible results for the radii of particles around 100-120 nm below the LCST and 60-70 nm above it. Through the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), air dried samples and wet samples were also analyzed. Air dried samples were dried for 24 hours until all water was evaporated, ensuring the collapse of microgels as if they were expelling …

Glycerolipid Analysis Of Adaptation To Saline Changes In The Culture Conditions Of Algae, Scenedesmus Dimorphus, By Gc-Ms, Tyler Fitzgerald, Satya Girish Chandra Avula, Chandana Mannem

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

Since fossil fuels are decreasing over time an alternative energy source will be soon required. The algae, Scenedesmus dimorphus, grows in freshwater and is known for its fast growth of glycerolipid content which is used for biodiesel production. After the algae is grown in optimal conditions, the released fatty acids and glycerolipids are transformed into fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) which are used as biodiesel. The FAMEs were quantitatively determined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine the total glycerolipid content in the different algae samples. The samples that were analyzed include freshwater controls and saline adapted samples. Analysis …

Improving Hiv Surveillance Data For Public Health Action In Washington, Dc: A Novel Multiorganizational Data-Sharing Method, Joanne Ocampo, J. C. Smart, Adam Allston, Reshma Bhattacharjee, Sahithi Boggavarapu, Amanda D. Castel, +13 More

GW Biostatistics Center

Background: The National HIV/AIDS Strategy calls for active surveillance programs for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to more accurately measure access to and retention in care across the HIV care continuum for persons living with HIV within their jurisdictions and to identify persons who may need public health services. However, traditional public health surveillance methods face substantial technological and privacy-related barriers to data sharing.

Objective: This study developed a novel data-sharing approach to improve the timeliness and quality of HIV surveillance data in three jurisdictions where persons may often travel across the borders of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. …

Skin Collagen Fluorophore Lw-1 Versus Skin Fluorescence As Markers For The Long-Term Progression Of Subclinical Macrovascular Disease In Type 1 Diabetes., David R Sell, Wanjie Sun, Xiaoyu Gao, Christopher Strauch, John M. Lachin, Patricia A Cleary, Saul Genuth, Ddit/Edic Research Group, Vincent M Monnier

GW Biostatistics Center

BACKGROUND: Skin collagen Long Wavelength Fluorescence (LWF) is widely used as a surrogate marker for accumulation of advanced glycation end-products. Here we determined the relationship of LWF with glycemia, skin fluorescence, and the progression of complications during EDIC in 216 participants from the DCCT.

METHODS: LW-1 and collagen-linked fluorescence (CLF) were measured by either High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (LW-1) or total fluorescence of collagenase digests (CLF) in insoluble skin collagen extracted from skin biopsies obtained at the end of the DCCT (1993). Skin intrinsic fluorescence (SIF) was noninvasively measured on volar forearm skin at EDIC year …

D-Dimer Levels Before Hiv Seroconversion Remain Elevated Even After Viral Suppression And Are Associated With An Increased Risk Of Non-Aids Events, Matthew S Freiberg, Ionut Bebu, Russell Tracy, Kaku So-Armah, Jason Okulicz, Anuradha Ganesan, Adam Armstrong, Thomas O'Bryan, David Rimland, Amy C Justice, Brian K Agan

GW Biostatistics Center

The mechanism underlying the excess risk of non-AIDS diseases among HIV infected people is unclear. HIV associated inflammation/hypercoagulability likely plays a role. While antiretroviral therapy (ART) may return this process to pre-HIV levels, this has not been directly demonstrated. We analyzed data/specimens on 249 HIV+ participants from the US Military HIV Natural History Study, a prospective, multicenter observational cohort of >5600 active duty military personnel and beneficiaries living with HIV. We used stored blood specimens to measure D-dimer and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) at three time points: pre-HIV seroconversion, ≥6 months post-HIV seroconversion but prior to ART initiation, and ≥6 months post-ART …

Generalized Confidence Intervals And Fiducial Intervals For Some Epidemiological Measures., Ionut Bebu, G. Luta, T. Mathew, B. K. Agan

GW Biostatistics Center

For binary outcome data from epidemiological studies, this article investigates the interval estimation of several measures of interest in the absence or presence of categorical covariates. When covariates are present, the logistic regression model as well as the log-binomial model are investigated. The measures considered include the common odds ratio (OR) from several studies, the number needed to treat (NNT), and the prevalence ratio. For each parameter, confidence intervals are constructed using the concepts of generalized pivotal quantities and fiducial quantities. Numerical results show that the confidence intervals so obtained exhibit satisfactory performance in terms of maintaining the coverage probabilities …

Significance Of Epicardial And Intrathoracic Adipose Tissue Volume Among Type 1 Diabetes Patients In The Dcct/Edic: A Pilot Study., Sirous Darabian, Jye-Yu C Backlund, Patricia A Cleary, Nasim Sheidaee, Ionut Bebu, John M. Lachin, Matthew J Budoff, Dcct/Edic Research Group

GW Biostatistics Center

Introduction

Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) patients are at increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). This pilot study sought to evaluate the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and intra-thoracic adipose tissue (IAT) volumes and cardio-metabolic risk factors in T1DM.

Method

EAT/IAT volumes in 100 patients, underwent non-contrast cardiac computed tomography in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial /Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) study were measured by a certified reader. Fat was defined as pixels’ density of -30 to -190 Hounsfield Unit. The associations were assessed using–Pearson partial correlation and linear regression models adjusted for gender and age …

Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines As A Tool To Study Inter-Individual Differences In The Response To Glucose., Michael A Grassi, Vidhya R Rao, Siquan Chen, Dingcai Cao, Xiaoyu Gao, Patricia A. Cleary, R Stephanie Huang, Andrew D Paterson, Rama Natarajan, Jalees Rehman, Timothy S Kern

GW Biostatistics Center

BACKGROUND: White blood cells have been shown in animal studies to play a central role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. Lymphoblastoid cells are immortalized EBV-transformed primary B-cell leukocytes that have been extensively used as a model for conditions in which white blood cells play a primary role. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether lymphoblastoid cell lines, by retaining many of the key features of primary leukocytes, can be induced with glucose to demonstrate relevant biological responses to those found in diabetic retinopathy.

METHODS: Lymphoblastoid cell lines were obtained from twenty-three human subjects. Differences between high and …

Importance Of Hereditary And Selected Environmental Risk Factors In The Etiology Of Inflammatory Breast Cancer: A Case-Comparison Study., Roxana Moslehi, Elizabeth Freedman, Nur Zeinomar, Carmela Veneroso, Paul H. Levine

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: To assess the importance of heredity in the etiology of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), we compared IBC patients to several carefully chosen comparison groups with respect to the prevalence of first-degree family history of breast cancer.

METHODS: IBC cases (n = 141) were compared to non-inflammatory breast cancer cases (n = 178) ascertained through George Washington University (GWU) with respect to the prevalence of first-degree family history of breast cancer and selected environmental/lifestyle risk factors for breast cancer. Similar comparisons were conducted with subjects from three case-control studies: breast cancer cases (n = 1145) and unaffected controls (n = …

Importance Of Hereditary And Selected Environmental Risk Factors In The Etiology Of Inflammatory Breast Cancer: A Case-Comparison Study., Roxana Moslehi, Elizabeth Freedman, Nur Zeinomar, Carmela Veneroso, Paul H. Levine

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: To assess the importance of heredity in the etiology of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), we compared IBC patients to several carefully chosen comparison groups with respect to the prevalence of first-degree family history of breast cancer.

METHODS: IBC cases (n = 141) were compared to non-inflammatory breast cancer cases (n = 178) ascertained through George Washington University (GWU) with respect to the prevalence of first-degree family history of breast cancer and selected environmental/lifestyle risk factors for breast cancer. Similar comparisons were conducted with subjects from three case-control studies: breast cancer cases (n = 1145) and unaffected controls (n = …

Interruptions Of Antiretroviral Therapy In Children And Adolescents With Hiv Infection In Clinical Practice: A Retrospective Cohort Study In The Usa., Natella Rakhmanina, Kam S Lam, Jaclyn Hern, Heather A. Young, Alex Walters, Amanda D. Castel

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Changes in combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) throughout childhood challenge the continuity of paediatric HIV treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of treatment interruption (TI), including lamivudine (3TC) monotherapy, and the relationship of TI to virologic and immunologic parameters in HIV-infected paediatric patients.

METHODS: Nested within a prospective observational study of a city-wide cohort of HIV-infected persons in the District of Columbia, this sub-study collected retrospective data on antiretroviral therapy, enrolment (endpoint) and historic (lifelong) CD4 counts and HIV RNA viral load (VL) of the paediatric cohort. TI was defined as interruption of cART ≥4 consecutive weeks. Data …

Arsenic In Drinking Water And Lung Cancer Mortality In The United States: An Analysis Based On Us Counties And 30 Years Of Observation (1950-1979)., Hamid Ferdosi, Elisabeth K Dissen, Nana Ama Afari-Dwamena, Ji Li, Rusan Chen, Manning Feinleib, Steven H Lamm

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background. To examine whether the US EPA (2010) lung cancer risk estimate derived from the high arsenic exposures (10-934 µg/L) in southwest Taiwan accurately predicts the US experience from low arsenic exposures (3-59 µg/L). Methods. Analyses have been limited to US counties solely dependent on underground sources for their drinking water supply with median arsenic levels of ≥3 µg/L. Results. Cancer risks (slopes) were found to be indistinguishable from zero for males and females. The addition of arsenic level did not significantly increase the explanatory power of the models. Stratified, or categorical, analysis yielded relative risks that hover about 1.00. …

The Relation Between Patient Education And Picc Line Occlusion, Patricia Louise Petroulias

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of using an electronic tablet to supplement patient and caregiver education about PICC line maintenance and to compare the percentage of PICC line complications in the intervention group with national percentage rates for patients and caregivers. Newly diagnosed cancer patients who had PICC lines inserted participated in this study. They used an electronic tablet to learn the 10 steps for flushing their PICC lines correctly. They also met with the researcher via FaceTime to review the steps.

A total of 11 patients participated in this quasi-experimental pilot study. They completed …

Determination Of Additives In Cigarettes Utilizing Evolved Gas Analysis (Ega), Karissa Ferguson, Michael J. Samide, Cierra Schmicker, Tyler Schenk, Anne Wilson

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

While additives to consumer products must be listed in order by amount, it is not required to report the actual amounts of these additives. Given that impacts on human health are dose dependent, knowledge of additive amounts would aid discussions of the safety of these compounds for inhalation. Additives for cigarettes include flavors, such as menthol, and propylene glycol, a humectant. Rapid determination of the amounts of menthol and propylene glycol additives in cigarettes was accomplished utilizing evolved gas analysis (EGA) – gas chromatography (GC) – flame ionization detection (FID). Careful preparation of samples and appropriate sample storage are critical …

A Multisite Hospital's Transition To An Interoperable Electronic Health Records System, Valerie Gerene Drill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The health care industry is transforming into an industry that requires health information technology, yet many health care organizations are reluctant to implement new technology. The purpose of this case study was to explore strategies that led to a successful transition from an older electronic health record (EHR) system to a compliant EHR system at a multisite hospital system (MHS). The study included face-to-face and phone interviews with 12 managers who worked on the transition of an MHS's EHR system in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The technology acceptance model was used to frame the study. Audio …

Phytopharmaceuticals In Mongolia: Past, Present, And Future, Disan Gunbilig, Ulziinyam Rentsendorj

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Over the last two decades, the consumption of medicinal plants has increased in Mongolia. Once banned by the post-revolutionary government, it is now valued by the practitioners of orthodox medicine, government as well as by the society. Yet the scientific community has to give this major and crucial component of traditional Mongolian medicine the attention it deserves, scientific knowledge about biologically active principles within medicinal plants remain poorly unknown. At the same time, due to over exploitation of plants many species are becoming extinct together with invaluable traditional knowledge being lost. For these reasons, there is a certain urgency to …

A Study Of Alterations In Dna Epigenetic Modifications (5mc And 5hmc) And Gene Expression Influenced By Simulated Microgravity In Human Lymphoblastoid Cells, Basudev Chowdhury, Arun Seetharam, Zhiping Wang, Yunlong Liu, Amy C. Lossie, Jyothi Thimmapuram

Cyber Center Publications

Cells alter their gene expression in response to exposure to various environmental changes. Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation are believed to regulate the alterations in gene expression patterns. In vitro and in vivo studies have documented changes in cellular proliferation, cytoskeletal remodeling, signal transduction, bone mineralization and immune deficiency under the influence of microgravity conditions experienced in space. However microgravity induced changes in the epigenome have not been well characterized. In this study we have used Next-generation Sequencing (NGS) to profile ground-based “simulated” microgravity induced changes on DNA methylation (5-methylcytosine or 5mC), hydroxymethylation (5-hydroxymethylcytosine or 5hmC), and simultaneous gene …

Detecting, Segmenting And Tracking Bio-Medical Objects, Mingzhong Li

Doctoral Dissertations

"Studying the behavior patterns of biomedical objects helps scientists understand the underlying mechanisms. With computer vision techniques, automated monitoring can be implemented for efficient and effective analysis in biomedical studies. Promising applications have been carried out in various research topics, including insect group monitoring, malignant cell detection and segmentation, human organ segmentation and nano-particle tracking.

In general, applications of computer vision techniques in monitoring biomedical objects include the following stages: detection, segmentation and tracking. Challenges in each stage will potentially lead to unsatisfactory results of automated monitoring. These challenges include different foreground-background contrast, fast motion blur, clutter, object overlap and …

The Impact Of Information Technology On Patient Engagement And Health Behavior Change: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Suhila Sawesi, Mohamed Rashrash, Kanitha Phalakornkule, Janet S. Carpenter, Josette F. Jones

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Advancements in information technology (IT) and its increasingly ubiquitous nature expand the ability to engage patients in the health care process and motivate health behavior change.

Objective: Our aim was to systematically review the (1) impact of IT platforms used to promote patients’ engagement and to effect change in health behaviors and health outcomes, (2) behavior theories or models applied as bases for developing these interventions and their impact on health outcomes, (3) different ways of measuring health outcomes, (4) usability, feasibility, and acceptability of these technologies among patients, and (5) challenges and research directions for implementing …

A Novel Copper (Ii) Complex Identified As A Potent Drug Against Colorectal And Breast Cancer Cells And As A Poison Inhibitor For Human Topoisomerase Iiᶐ, Shayna Sandhaus, Rosella Taylor, Tiffany Edwards, Alexis Huddleston, Stephen J. Beebe, Alvin A. Holder

Bioelectrics Publications

A novel complex, [Cu(acetylethTSC)Cl]Cl · 0.25C₂H₅OH 1 (where acetylethTSC = (E)-N-ethyl-2-[1-(thiazol-2-yl)ethylidene]hydrazinecarbothioamide), was shown to have anti-proliferative activity against various colon and aggressive breast cancer cell lines. In vitro studies showed that complex 1 acted as a poison inhibitor of human topoisomerase IIᶐ which may account for the observed anti-cancer effects.

The Impact Of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals On Wildlife Conservation, Eda Reed

Honors Theses

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as those from plastics and pesticides, have been hypothesized to affect wildlife populations. According to the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, EDCs ‘are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife.’ A growing number of studies suggest wildlife are being exposed to EDCs, but how EDCs affect wildlife health and wildlife conservation is less well-understood. Through scientific literature analysis and a survey of wildlife conservationists and practitioners, this study aims to determine the current state of knowledge and data …

An Alignment-Free "Metapeptide" Strategy For Metaproteomic Characterization Of Microbiome Samples Using Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing, Damon H. May, Emma Timmins-Schiffman, Molly P. Mikan, H. Rodger Harvey, Elhanan Borenstein, Brook L. Nunn, William S. Noble

OES Faculty Publications

In principle, tandem mass spectrometry can be used to detect and quantify the peptides present in a microbiome sample, enabling functional and taxonomic insight into microbiome metabolic activity. However, the phylogenetic diversity constituting a particular microbiome is often unknown, and many of the organisms present may not have assembled genomes. In ocean microbiome samples, with particularly diverse and uncultured bacterial communities, it is difficult to construct protein databases that contain the bulk of the peptides in the sample without losing detection sensitivity due to the overwhelming number of candidate peptides for each tandem mass spectrum. We describe a method for …

An In Vitro Study On The Effect Of Synthesized Tin (Iv) Complexes On Glioblastoma, Colorectal, And Skin Cancer Cell Lines, Jennie L. Williams, Lesley C. Lewis-Alleyne, Melinda Solomon, Long Nguyen, Robert Johnson, Jennifer Vital, Ping Ji, John Durant, Camille Cooper, Patrice Cagle, Patrick Martin, Don Vanderveer, William L. Jarrett, Alvin A. Holder

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

((E)-2-(2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)phenolato-2,2-diphenyl-6-aza-1,3-dioxa-2-stanna-[d,h]dibenzocyclononene, [Sn(Ph₂SB)] (compound 1, where Ph₂SB=(E)-2-(2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)phenolato Schiff base) and two novel compounds, [[SnPh2(F-azoSB)] (compound 2, where F-azoSB=4-((E)-(4-fluorophenyl)diazenyl)-2-((E)-(2-hydroxyphenylimino)methyl)phenolato Schiff base), [[SnPh2(sulf-azoSB)]0.125CHCl₃ (compound 3, where sulfamerazineazosalSB=4-((E)-(4-hydroxy-3-((E)-(2-hydroxyphenylimino)methyl)phenyl)diazenyl)-N-(4-methylpyrimidin-2-yl) benzenesulfonamide Schiff base), and the control compound, cisplatin (compound 4) were analysed to comparatively determine their effect on cancer cell growth. Anti-cancer properties of compounds 1-4 were examined using glioblastoma (U-1242 MG), colorectal (HT-29 and HCT-116), and skin (A431) human cancer cell lines. With regards to human glioblastoma cells, compounds 1 and 3 demonstrated anti-proliferative capacity in the cell line tested. Specifically, compounds 1 and 3 inhibited cell proliferation by 50% at …

Vanadium Toxicological Potential Versus Its Pharmacological Activity: New Developments And Research, Agnieszka Ścibior, Juan Llopis, Alvin A. Holder, Mario Altamirano-Lozano

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Scibior, A., Llopis, J., Holder, A. A., & Altamirano-Lozano, M. (2016). Vanadium toxicological potential versus its pharmacological activity: New developments and research. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2016, 1-2. doi: 10.1155/2016/7612347

Purin-6-One Derivatives As Phosphodiesterase-2 Inhibitors, Wei Yuan, Xin-Yun Zhao, Xi Chen, Chang-Guo Zhan

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

A series of purin-6-one derivatives were synthesized, and their in vitro inhibitory activity against phosphodiesterase-2 (PDE2) was evaluated by using a fluorescence polarization assay. Three compounds, that are, 2j, 2p, and 2q, showed significant inhibitory activity against PDE2 with IC₅₀ values of 1.73, 0.18, and 3.43 μM, respectively. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis was performed to explore the relationship between the chemical structures of these compounds and their inhibitory activity. Compounds 2j, 2p, and 2q were further selected for molecular docking study. The docking results suggested that these ligands bind with hydrophobic pockets of …

Resolving The Policy Paradox: The Case Of Biofuel Production In Ireland, Alan Gilmer, Mark J. Mcgarrity, Vivienne Byers

Articles

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the status of policy design and policy implementation in the biofuel sector in Ireland. The focus of the work addresses the overarching operational context of the biofuel sector in Ireland and the role of different actors in shaping and resolving inconsistencies in policy outlook and practice. Design/methodology/approach – This study used a qualitative research approach involving a series of semi-structured interviews with members of the relevant sub-groups concerned. This study sought to address two questions – whether current or proposed policy is likely to affect consumption of indigenous biofuel feedstocks …

Bayesian Exponential Random Graph Modeling Of Whole-Brain Structural Networks Across Lifespan, Michel Sinke, Rick Dijkhuizen, Alberto Caimo, Cornelis Stam, Willem Otte

Articles

No abstract provided.

An Empirical Investigation Of Privacy And Security Concerns On Doctors’ And Nurses’ Behavioral Intentions To Use Rfid In Hospitals, Thomas George Winston

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is a useful technology that has myriad applications in technology, retail, manufacturing, and healthcare settings. Not dependent upon line-of-sight, RFID can scan devices in their proximity and report the information to connected (wired or other wireless) information systems. Once touted as the panacea for home healthcare, RFID devices can add benefit to patients in remote settings. RFID devices have been used to optimize systems in areas such as manufacturing and healthcare to expose inefficiencies in a system or process. Unlike manufacturing, however, RFID in healthcare settings presents security and privacy concerns to the people being …

Electronic Medical Records (Emr): An Empirical Testing Of Factors Contributing To Healthcare Professionals’ Resistance To Use Emr Systems, Emmanuel Patrick Bazile

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

The benefits of using electronic medical records (EMRs) have been well documented; however, despite numerous financial benefits and cost reductions being offered by the federal government, some healthcare professionals have been reluctant to implement EMR systems. In fact, prior research provides evidence of failed EMR implementations due to resistance on the part of physicians, nurses, and clinical administrators. In 2010, only 25% of office-based physicians have basic EMR systems and only 10% have fully functional systems. One of the hindrances believed to be responsible for the slow implementation rates of EMR systems is resistance from healthcare professionals not truly convinced …

Patient Portals: Achieving Technology Acceptance And Meaningful Use In Independent Physician-Managed Practices, Kimberly W. Bartholomew

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

As the bulk of medical health records shift from paper-based file systems to electronic formats, the promise of the transformation process called healthcare reform included adding efficiencies to medical practice workflows, lower costs, improved quality of care and most important, and the freeing of patient information from traditional propriety silos. With this incoming largess of protected health information data now viewable through online patient portals, patients can be empowered to become educated and active in their own health care decisions, but only if they have admission to their information. A digital divide currently exists in many medical practices where only …