Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Tetr Family Regulator Brpt Modulates Biofilm Formation In Streptococcus Sanguinis, Jinlin Liu, Victoria N. Stone, Xiuchun Ge, Madison Tang, Fadi Elrami, Ping Xu

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Biofilms are a key component in bacterial communities providing protection and contributing to infectious diseases. However, mechanisms involved in S. sanguinis biofilm formation have not been clearly elucidated. Here, we report the identification of a novel S. sanguinis TetR repressor, brpT (Biofilm Regulatory Protein TetR), involved in biofilm formation. Deletion of brpT resulted in a significant increase in biofilm formation. Interestingly, the mutant accumulated more water soluble and water insoluble glucans in its biofilm compared to the wild-type and the complemented mutant. The brpT mutation led to an altered biofilm morphology and structure exhibiting a rougher appearance, uneven …

Identification Of Naegleria Fowleri Proteins Linked To Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis, Melissa Jamerson, Jacqueline A. Schmoyer, Jay Park, Francine Marciano-Cabral, Guy A. Cabral

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri) causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rapidly fatal disease of the central nervous system. N. fowleri can exist in cyst, flagellate or amoebic forms, depending on environmental conditions. The amoebic form can invade the brain following introduction into the nasal passages. When applied intranasally to a mouse model, cultured N. fowleri amoebae exhibit low virulence. However, upon serial passage in mouse brain, the amoebae acquire a highly virulent state. In the present study, a proteomics approach was applied to the identification of N. fowleri amoeba proteins whose expression was associated with the highly virulent state …

Saikosaponins Induced Hepatotoxicity In Mice Via Lipid Metabolism Dysregulation And Oxidative Stress: A Proteomic Study, Xiaoyu Li, Xiaojiaoyang Li, Junxian Lu, Youyi Huang, Lili Lv, Yongfu Luan, Runping Liu, Rong Sun

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Background

Radix Bupleuri (RB) has been popularly used for treating many liver diseases such as chronic hepatic inflammation and viral Hepatitis in China. Increasing clinical and experimental evidence indicates the potential hepatotoxicity of RB or prescriptions containing RB. Recently, Saikosaponins (SS) have been identified as major bioactive compounds isolated from RB, which may be also responsible for RB-induced liver injury.

Methods

Serum AST, ALT and LDH levels were determined to evaluate SS-induced liver injury in mice. Serum and liver total triglyceride and cholesterol were used to indicate lipid metabolism homeostasis. Liver ROS, GSH, MDA and iNOS were used to examine …

Effect Of Variations In Atelectasis On Tumor Displacement During Radiation Therapy For Locally Advanced Lung Cancer, Nathan Tennyson, Elisabeth Weiss, William Sleeman, Mihaela Rosu, Nuzhat Jan, Geoffrey D. Hugo

Radiation Oncology Publications

Purpose

Atelectasis (AT), or collapsed lung, is frequently associated with central lung tumors. We investigated the variation of atelectasis volumes during radiation therapy and analyzed the effect of AT volume changes on the reproducibility of the primary tumor (PT) position.

Methods and materials

Twelve patients with lung cancer who had AT and 10 patients without AT underwent repeated 4-dimensional fan beam computed tomography (CT) scans during radiation therapy per protocols that were approved by the institutional review board. Interfraction volume changes of AT and PT were correlated with PT displacements relative to bony anatomy using both a bounding box (BB) …

The Anti-Sepsis Activity Of The Components Of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction With High Lipid A-Binding Affinity, Guirong Chen, Yubin Xu, Jing Jing, Brianna Mackie, Xinchuan Zheng, Xu Zhang, Jing Wang, Xuetao Li

Medicinal Chemistry Publications

Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HJD), one of the classic recipes for relieving toxicity and fever, is a common method for treating sepsis in China. However, the effective components of HJD have not yet been identified. This experiment was carried out to elucidate the effective components of HJD against sepsis. Thus, seven fractions from HJD were tested using a biosensor to test their affinity for lipid A. The components obtained that had high lipid A-binding fractions were further separated, and their affinities to lipid A were assessed with the aid of a biosensor. The levels of LPS in the blood were measured, …

Sharing Extended Summary Data From Contemporary Genetics Studies Is Unlikely To Threaten Subject Privacy, Silviu-Alin Bacanu

Psychiatry Publications

Background

Starting from a forensic problem, Homer et al. showed that it was possible to detect if an individual contributes only 0.5% of the DNA in a pool. The finding was extended to prove the possibility of detecting whether a subject participated in a small homogeneous GWAS. We denote this as the detection of a subject belonging to a certain cohort (SBCC). Subsequently, Visscher and Hill showed that the power to detect SBCC signal for an ethnically homogeneous cohort depends roughly on the ratio of the number of independent markers and total sample size. However, it …

A Preliminary Longitudinal Study Of White Matter Alteration In Cocaine Use Disorder Subjects, Liangsuo Ma, Joel L. Steinberg, Qin Wang, Joy M. Schmitz, Edward L. Boone, Ponnada A. Narayana, F. Gerard Moeller

Radiology Publications

Background

Previous diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have consistently shown that subjects with cocaine use disorder (CocUD) had altered white matter microstructure in the corpus callosum. It is believed that these alterations are due to preexisting factors, chronic cocaine use, or both. However, there is no published longitudinal DTI study on human cocaine users yet which could shed light on the relationship between cocaine use and DTI findings.

Methods

This study used a longitudinal design and DTI to test if the white matter microstructure shows quicker alteration in CocUD subjects than controls. DTI data were acquired from eleven CocUD subjects …

A Randomized Prospective Long-Term (> 1 Year) Clinical Trial Comparing The Efficacy And Safety Of Radiofrequency Ablation To 980nm Laser Ablation Of The Great Saphenous Vein, Malcolm Sydnor, John Mavropoulos, Natalia Slobodnik, Luke Wolfe, Brian Strife, Daniel Komorowski

Radiology Publications

Purpose

To compare the short- and long-term (>1 year) efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation (ClosureFAST™) versus endovenous laser ablation (980 nm diode laser) for the treatment of superficial venous insufficiency of the great saphenous vein.

Materials and methods

Two hundred patients with superficial venous insufficiency of the great saphenous vein were randomized to receive either radiofrequency ablation or endovenous laser ablation (and simultaneous adjunctive therapies for surface varicosities when appropriate). Post-treatment sonographic and clinical assessment was conducted at one week, six weeks, and six months for closure, complications, and patient satisfaction. Clinical assessment of each patient was conducted …

Medical Literary Messenger (Vol. 5, No. 1, Fall/Winter 2017)

Medical Literary Messenger

Home Visit / Melissa Fournier -- Stiffness / Hannah Shea -- Exile / Lane Falcon -- Good Intentions / Laura Foley -- Resurrection / Les Cohen -- Visits / Craig W. Steele -- That Last Night / Laura Foley -- Taste / Dan Campion -- Bumblebees Don’t Always Sting / Diane M. Parker -- Mental Status Exam / Melissa Fournier -- Dystrophia I / Ashley Purdy -- Muck Out / Mitchell Krockmalnik Grabois -- Endoscope / Lane Falcon -- Leftovers / Erynn Porter -- Another Autumn / Deborah Fleming -- Autism / Laura Foley -- Nearly Sunset / Craig W. …

The Role Of Kinase Fusion Dnajb1-Prkaca In Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Yi Guo

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Biliary Progenitor Cell Proliferation By Hedgehog Signaling In In Vivo And Ex Vivo Organoid Models, Nataliya Razumilava M.D., Junya Shiota M.D., Ramon Ocadiz-Ruiz Ph.D., Nureen Hanisah Mohamad Zaki, Kais Zakharia M.D., Michael Mathew Hayes, Juanita Lynn Merchant M.D., Ph.D.

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

Glypican-3 And Cd81 Promote Development Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma And Hepatoblastoma Through Negative Selection., Yuhua Xue, Wendy Mars, William Bowen, Aatur D. Singhi, Sarangarajan Ranganathan, George K. Michalopoulos

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

The Molecular Mechanism Of Β-Catenin Mutations And Akt Synergize Induced Lipogenic Hcc In Mice, Junyan Tao 8598903, Sucha Singh, Emily Xu, Na Zhan, Xin Chen, Satdarshan P. S. Monga

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

Innate Lymphoid Cells In Mouse Models Of Hcc And Nash, Bernd Heinrich, Tim F. Greten

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

Hepatic Stellate Cell-Derived Cancer Associated Fibroblasts Sustain Tumor Growth In Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, Silvia Affo, Le-Xing Yu, Xin Chen, Robert F. Schwabe

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

Locomotor Adaptability In Persons With Unilateral Transtibial Amputation, Benjamin J. Darter, Amy J. Bastian, Erik J. Wolf, Elizabeth M. Husson, Bethany A. Labrecque, Brad D. Hendershot

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Publications

Background

Locomotor adaptation enables walkers to modify strategies when faced with challenging walking conditions. While a variety of neurological injuries can impair locomotor adaptability, the effect of a lower extremity amputation on adaptability is poorly understood.

Objective

Determine if locomotor adaptability is impaired in persons with unilateral transtibial amputation (TTA).

Methods

The locomotor adaptability of 10 persons with a TTA and 8 persons without an amputation was tested while walking on a split-belt treadmill with the parallel belts running at the same (tied) or different (split) speeds. In the split condition, participants walked for 15 minutes with the respective belts …

Genomic Analysis Of Chimeric Human Cytomegalovirus Vaccine Candidates Derived From Strains Towne And Toledo, Nicolás M. Suárez, Betty Lau, George M. Kemble, Ronzo Lee, Edward S. Mocarski, Gavin W. G. Wilkinson, Stuart P. Adler, Michael A. Mcvoy, Andrew J. Davison

Pediatrics Publications

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised patients and a major cause of congenital birth defects when acquired in utero. In the 1990s, four chimeric viruses were constructed by replacing genome segments of the high passage Towne strain with segments of the low passage Toledo strain, with the goal of obtaining live attenuated vaccine candidates that remained safe but were more immunogenic than the overly attenuated Towne vaccine. The chimeras were found to be safe when administered to HCMV-seronegative human volunteers, but to differ significantly in their ability to induce seroconversion. This suggests that chimera-specific genetic differences …

Chronic Health Conditions As A Risk Factor For Falls Among The Community-Dwelling Us Older Adults: A Zero-Inflated Regression Modeling Approach, Yoshita Paliwal, Patricia W. Slattum, Scott M. Ratliff

Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science Publications

Falls are an important health concern among older adults due to age-related changes in the body. Having a medical history of chronic health condition may pose even higher risk of falling. Only few studies have assessed a number of chronic health conditions as risk factor for falls over a large nationally representative sample of US older adults. In this study, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2014 participants aged 65 years and older (n = 159,336) were evaluated. It was found that 29.7% (n = 44,550) of the sample experienced at least one fall and 16.3% (n = 20,444) …

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 94, No. 4, 2017)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Application Of Incident Command Structure To Clinical Trial Management In The Academic Setting: Principles And Lessons Learned, Penny S. Reynolds, Mary J. Michael, Bruce D. Spiess

Anesthesiology Publications

Background

Clinical trial success depends on appropriate management, but practical guidance to trial organisation and planning is lacking. The Incident Command System (ICS) is the ‘gold standard’ management system developed for managing diverse operations in major incident and public health arenas. It enables effective and flexible management through integration of personnel, procedures, resources, and communications within a common hierarchical organisational structure. Conventional ICS organisation consists of five function modules: Command, Planning, Operations, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. Large clinical trials will require a separate Regulatory Administrative arm, and an Information arm, consisting of dedicated data management and information technology staff. We applied …

Directed Evolution Provides Insight Into Conformational Substrate Sampling By Srta, Muna Suliman, Vishaka Santosh, Tom C. M. Seegar, Annamarie C. Dalton, Kathryn M. Schultz, Candice S. Klug, William A. Barton

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Publications

The Sortase family of transpeptidases are found in numerous gram-positive bacteria and involved in divergent physiological processes including anchoring of surface proteins to the cell wall as well as pili assembly. As essential proteins, sortase enzymes have been the focus of considerable interest for the development of novel anti-microbials, however, more recently their function as unique transpeptidases has been exploited for the synthesis of novel bio-conjugates. Yet, for synthetic purposes, SrtA-mediated conjugation suffers from the enzyme's inherently poor catalytic efficiency. Therefore, to identify SrtA variants with improved catalytic efficiency, we used directed evolution to select a catalytically enhanced SrtA enzyme. …

Assessing Efficiency Of Public Health And Medical Care Provision In Oecd Countries After A Decade Of Reform, Yasar A. Ozcan, Jaya Khushalani

Health Administration Publications

The objective of this study was to examine the change in efficiency of health care systems of 34 OECD countries between 2000 and 2012, a period marked by significant health reform in most OECD countries. This paper uses a novel Dynamic Network Data Envelopment Analysis (DNDEA) model to analyze the efficiency of the public health system and the medical care system of these OECD countries independently along with assessing the efficiency of their overall health system. This helps understand the relative priorities for improving the overall health system. The data for this study was obtained from the OECD Health Facts …

Targeting Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through Tgf-Β Pathway E3 Ligases, Kazufumi Ohshiro, Jian Chen, Shulin Li, Jon White, Asif Rashid, Lopa Mishra

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Uridine-Cytidine Kinase 2 In The Development Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Dehai Wu, Song Tao, Keunsoo Ahn, Nicha Wongjarupong, Lewis Roberts

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

The Scaffolding Protein Iqgap1 Promotes Hepatic Proliferation And Protects The Liver From Injury, Hanna Erickson, Sayeepriyadarshini Anakk

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

Cca Development In The Background Of Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis/Caroli Disease, Eleanna Kaffe Mrs, Carlo Spirli, Luca Fabris, Massimiliano Cadamuro, Mario Strazzabosco

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

Commonly Used H1 And H2 Histamine Receptor (Hr) Blockers Decrease Cholangiocarcinoma Xenograft Tumor Growth, Angiogenesis And Emt, Lindsey Kennedy, Laura Hargrove, Jennifer Demieville, Walker Karstens, Steven Smith, Heather Francis

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

Perfluorocarbon Emulsions Radiosensitise Brain Tumors In Carbogen Breathing Mice With Orthotopic Gl261 Gliomas, Lisa A. Feldman, Marie-Sophie Fabre, Carole Grasso, Dana Reid, William C. Broaddus, Gregory M. Lanza, Bruce D. Spiess, Joel R. Garbow, Melanie J. Mcconnell, Patries M. Herst

Neurosurgery Publications

Background

Tumour hypoxia limits the effectiveness of radiation therapy. Delivering normobaric or hyperbaric oxygen therapy elevates pO2 in both tumour and normal brain tissue. However, pO2 levels return to baseline within 15 minutes of stopping therapy.

Aim

To investigate the effect of perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsions on hypoxia in subcutaneous and intracranial mouse gliomas and their radiosensitising effect in orthotopic gliomas in mice breathing carbogen (95%O2 and 5%CO2).

Results

PFC emulsions completely abrogated hypoxia in both subcutaneous and intracranial GL261 models and conferred a significant survival advantage orthotopically (Mantel Cox: p = 0.048) in carbogen breathing mice injected intravenously (IV) with …

Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices In Virginia, Kimberly B. Lee, Jesus Aaron Ramirez, Rebeccah Collins, John Bucheit, Kakotan Sanogo, Michael P. Stevens

Family Medicine and Population Health Publications

The Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology recognize the need to combat antimicrobial resistance through the promotion of antimicrobial stewardship programs. Health care facilities in Virginia were surveyed using a 23-item survey focused on facility characteristics and antimicrobial stewardship strategies. Antimicrobial stewardship activities were highly variable and many are missing key personnel and resources.

Medical Literary Messenger (Vol. 4, No. 2, Spring/Summer 2017)

Medical Literary Messenger

Solicitude / Dan Campion -- R & R / Claude Clayton Smith -- Alopecia Areata / Will Justice Drake -- Guide to Nether-Land / Tanmoy Das Lala -- The Wolf / Rebecca Taksel -- Life Support / Lindsay Rutherford -- Tuesday Mermaids / Connie Zumpf -- Transition / Vernita Hall -- Admissions / Kathryn Eberly -- The Vote / Alisa Olmsted -- Health & Healing in Honduras / Michael P. Stevens and Nadia Masroor -- Lamentation of a Night-Shift Nurse / Mallory Drake -- Blues from the Stepdown Ward / Terry Sanville -- Nectarines / Lindsay Rutherford -- Alzheimer’s / …