Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Inhibition Of Hdac1/2 Along With Trap1 Causes Synthetic Lethality In Glioblastoma Model Systems, Trang T. T. Nguyen, Yiru Zhang, Enyuan Shang, Chang Shu, Catarina M. Quinzii, Mike-Andrew Westhoff, Georg Karpel-Massler, Markus D. Siegelin

Publications and Research

The heterogeneity of glioblastomas, the most common primary malignant brain tumor, remains a significant challenge for the treatment of these devastating tumors. Therefore, novel combination treatments are warranted. Here, we showed that the combined inhibition of TRAP1 by gamitrinib and histone deacetylases (HDAC1/HDAC2) through romidepsin or panobinostat caused synergistic growth reduction of established and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) glioblastoma cells. This was accompanied by enhanced cell death with features of apoptosis and activation of caspases. The combination treatment modulated the levels of pro- and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members, including BIM and Noxa, Mcl-1, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Silencing of Noxa, BAK and …

Mapping Gadolinium Contrast In A Complex Ionic And Photosynthesis Environment Of Pineapple By Near-Infrared And X-Ray Imaging, Subhendra Sarkar, Zoya Vinokur, Chen Xu, Tetiana Soloviova, Amina Shahbaz, Aldona Gjoni

Publications and Research

This work explores the diffusivity of a lanthanide complex, Eovist (Gadolinium-Ethoxy Benzyl Diethylenetriamine pentaacetate) that is stable in neutral media but is not in acidic environment. In the current work an acidic fruit model like pineapple that is rich in transition metals was used and a possible transmetallation reaction among Eovist and transition metal complexes was tested using X-ray imaging. Another goal of this work was to perturb the usual and the unusual photosynthesis systems that pineapple has maintained for millions of years during the evolution of circadian genes for efficient water conservation by dark photosynthesis. To detect such photosynthesis …

Lower Practice Effects As A Marker Of Cognitive Performance And Dementia Risk: A Literature Review, Roos J. Jutten, Evan Grandoit, Nancy S. Foldi, Sietske A. M. Sikkes, Richard N. Jones, Seo-Eun Choi, Melissa L. Lamar, Diana K. N. Louden, Joanne Rich, Douglas Tommet, Paul K. Crane, Laura A. Rabin

Publications and Research

Background: Practice effects (PEs) are improvements in performance after repeated exposure to test materials, and typically viewed as a source of bias in repeated cogni- tive assessments. We aimed to determine whether characterizing PEs could also pro- vide a useful marker of early cognitive decline.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature, searching PsycInfo (Ebsco) and PubMed databases for articles studying PEs in aging and dementia pop- ulations. Articles published between 1920 and 2019 were included.

Result: We identified 259 articles, of which 27 studied PEs as markers of cognitive performance. These studies consistently showed that smaller, less-robust …

Pre-Stretching Of The Hamstrings Before Squatting Acutely Increases Biceps Femoris Thickness Without Impairing Exercise Performance, Thiago Barbosa Trindade, Leônidas Oliveira Neto, José Claudino Neto Pita, Vagner Deuel De Oliveira Tavares, Paulo Moreira Silva Dantas, Brad J. Schoenfeld, Jonato Prestes

Publications and Research

Background: Bilateral squat exercise is widely used in resistance training (RT) programs to increase lower limb strength and muscle mass, but this exercise does not result in significant hypertrophy of the hamstrings. It has been speculated that stretching between sets with a certain degree of tension results in muscle hypertrophy, while acute stretching could decrease performance during maximal contractions.

Objective: This study investigated the acute effects of hamstring stretching before bilateral squatting on muscle thickness (MT), electromyography (EMG), and total training volume (TTV) on exercise performance.

Methods: Fourteen resistance-trained young men, with ∼7.5 years of RT experience, performed the 10 …

Ct-Nib Taxonomy For Nursing Information Behavior: Ko In The Pandemic, Elizabeth Milonas, Sergey Zherebchevsky, Richard P. Smiraglia

Publications and Research

As COVID-19 emerged on the world stage a challenge arose to help inform the knowledge base in home health-care nursing. Connecting current experience with the Pajarillo theory "The Nub of Nursing Information Behavior (NIB" was a first step. To provide a taxonomy of NIB, standard domain analytical tools for ontology extraction were employed using Pajarillo's text. Analysis generated frequency distributions of terms and phrases which were then sorted and disambiguated to generate a list of phenomena. Co-word analysis generated visualizations to suggest regions that might constitute facets and sub-facets. Facet analysis yielded six major facets and 17 sub-facets. The NANDA …

Awareness Of And Willingness To Use Prep Among Black And Latinx Adolescents Residing In Higher Prevalence Areas In The United States, Tamara Taggart, Yilin Liang, Paolo Pina, Tashuna Albritton

Publications and Research

This mixed-methods study examined awareness of and willingness to use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among sexually active Black and Latinx adolescents (13–17 years) residing in five cities in the United States with some of the highest burden of HIV. Data are from adolescents who participated in a cross-sectional survey (n = 208) and one-on-one interviews and focus groups (n = 26) conducted from September 2017—August 2019. Approximately 50% of the sample were recruited through community efforts, and the other half through a panel. Logistic regression with covariates including sexual orientation, relationship status, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity were used to assess factors …

The Public Health We Need, Alfredo Morabia

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Covid-19 Impact On Radiology Students’ Distance Learning, Mary Lee, Fahameda Hassan, Zoya Vinokur

Publications and Research

Distance learning (DL) is a teaching tool that offers education to students remotely in various locations (Ruiz, 2006). The increase in distance learning education is evident in all types of educational programs including those in Radiologic Sciences. DL education programs are expected to comply with all standards just as traditional programs are (Aaron, 2015). With a traditional class setting, knowledge is taught at a given time and day, which is structured in terms of course development and attendance. It does not factor in the domestic and familial responsibilities of the students outside the classroom walls. What happens when a pandemic …

Resuming On-Site Services: Final Report And Recommendations Of The Cuny Libraries Covid-19 Task Force, Kathleen Dreyer, Jeffrey Delgado, Karen Okamoto, Steven Ovadia, Roxanne Shirazi, Michael Waldman, Haruko Yamauchi, Simone Yearwood

Publications and Research

This report was prepared by the CUNY Libraries COVID-19 Task Force, which formed in May 2020 with the following charge:

Authorized by the CUNY Office of Library Services and the Council of Chief Librarians, the task force is charged to survey best practices shared by libraries world-wide and to develop guidelines for CUNY Libraries site management, staff and user safety, circulation and resource sharing, and materials handling as pandemic conditions evolve.

A summary of the draft report was submitted by Interim Dean for Library Services Polly Thistlethwaite to CUNY’s Academic & Student Support Task Force on June 23, 2020. The …

Oral Anticoagulants For Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation In Frail Elderly Patients: Insights From The Aristophanes Study, G. Y. H. Lip, A. V. Keshishian, A. L. Kang, A. D. Dhamane, X. Luo, X. Li, N. Balachander, L. Rosenblatt, J. Mardekian, X. Pan, M. Di Fusco, A. B. Garcia Reeves, Huseyin Yuce, S. Deitelzweig

Publications and Research

Background

Patient frailty amongst patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is associated with adverse health outcomes and increased risk of mortality. Additional evidence is needed to evaluate effective and safe NVAF treatment in this patient population.

Objectives

This subgroup analysis of the ARISTOPHANES study compared the risk of stroke/systemic embolism (S/SE) and major bleeding (MB) amongst frail NVAF patients prescribed nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) or warfarin.

Methods

This comparative retrospective observational study of frail, older NVAF patients who initiated apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban or warfarin from 01JAN2013‐30SEP2015 was conducted using Medicare and 3 US commercial claims databases. To compare …

Different Methods Of Fear Reduction Are Supported By Distinct Cortical Substrates, Belinda Pp Lay, Audrey A. Pitaru, Nathan Boulianne, Guillem R. Esber, Mihaela D. Iordanova

Publications and Research

Understanding how learned fear can be reduced is at the heart of treatments for anxiety disorders. Tremendous progress has been made in this regard through extinction training in which the aversive outcome is omitted. However, current progress almost entirely rests on this single paradigm, resulting in a very specialized knowledgebase at the behavioural and neural level of analysis. Here, we used a dual-paradigm approach to show that different methods that lead to reduction in learned fear in rats are dissociated in the cortex. We report that the infralimbic cortex has a very specific role in fear reduction that depends on …

Addressing The Commercial Determinants Of Health Begins With Clearer Definition And Measurement, Kelley Lee, Nicholas Freudenberg

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Stress Measured By Allostatic Load Varies By Reason For Immigration, Age At Immigration, And Number Of Children: The Africans In America Study, Thomas Hormenu, Elyssa M. Shoup, Nana H. Osei-Tutu, Arsene F. Hobabagabo, Christopher W. Dubose, Lilian S. Mabundo, Stephanie T. Chung, Margarethe F. . Horlyck-Romanovsky, Anne E. Sumner

Publications and Research

Stress leads to physiologic dysfunction and cardiometabolic disease. Allostatic load score (ALS) measures stress-induced cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory biomarkers. We estimated the odds of high ALS by reason for and age at immigration, duration of American residence, number of children, and socioeconomic status in 193 African immigrants (male: 65%, age 41 ± 10 y (mean ± Standard Deviation (SD)), range 22–65 y). ALS was calculated with High-ALS defined as ALS ≥ 3.0 and Low-ALS defined as ALS < 3.0. Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were performed, the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk estimated, and TNF-α, an inflammatory cytokine, measured. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds of High-ALS. In the High- and Low-ALS groups, ALS were 4.0 ± 1.2 vs. 1.3 ± 0.7, diabetes prevalence: 14% vs. 4%, CVD risk: 23% vs. 8%, TNF-α levels: 15 ± 9 vs. 11 ± 6 pg/mL, respectively (all p ≤ 0.01). Immigrants were more likely to be in the High-ALS group if their reason for immigration was work or asylum/refugee (OR 2.18, p = 0.013), their age at immigration was ≥30 y (OR 3.28, p < 0.001), their duration of residence in United States was ≥10 y (OR 3.16, p = 0.001), or their number of children was ≥3 (OR 2.67, p = 0.019). Education, income, health insurance, marital status, and gender did not affect High-ALS odds. Factors adversely influencing allostatic load and cardiometabolic health in African immigrants were age at and reason for immigration, duration of residence in America, and number of children.

It's Time To Go Back To The Basics, Susan H. Davide

Publications and Research

Ultrasonic instrumentation is used today by many dental hygienists and dentists around the world. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, dental procedures involving aerosol production are contraindicated, leading to the question, “Is it time to return to hand scaling?”

Medical Resource Use And Costs Of Treating Sickle Cell-Related Vaso-Occlusive Crisis Episodes: A Retrospective Claims Study, Nirmish Shah, Menaka Bhor, Lin Xie, Jincy Paulose, Huseyin Yuce

Publications and Research

Background: The study investigated the economic burden of vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) among sickle cell disease (SCD) patients, through assessment of overall utilization and costs and costs per VOC episode (regarding the number of VOC episodes and health care setting, respectively).

Methods: Using the Medicaid Analytic Extracts database, the first SCD-related diagnosis claim (index claim) between June 1, 2009–December 31, 2012 was identified among eligible adults. Patients were required to have continuous medical and pharmacy benefits for 6 months pre- and 12 months post-index. Discrete VOC claims identified within a 3-day gap were combined as a single VOC episode. Annual all-cause …

Online Grocery Shopping By Nyc Public Housing Residents Using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) Benefits: A Service Ecosystems Perspective, Nevin Cohen, Katherine Tomaino-Fraser, Chloe Arnow, Michelle Mulcahy, Christophe Hille

Publications and Research

This paper examines adoption of online grocery shopping, and potential cost and time savings compared to brick and mortar food retailers, by New York City public housing residents using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. A mixed methods action research project involving the co-creation of an online shopping club, the Farragut Food Club (FFC), recruited 300 members who registered to shop online using SNAP, and received waivers on delivery minimums and provided technical assistance and centralized food delivery. We conducted a survey (n = 206) and focus groups to understand shopping practices; FFC members collected receipts of groceries over two …

Female Breast Cancer Mortality In Relation To Puberty On Staten Island, New York, Alfred M. Levine, Donna B. Gerstle

Publications and Research

Pursuant to a Congressional act in 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services established the Interagency Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Coordinating Committee to address the burden of breast cancer in the United States. Subsequently, the Committee recommended researchers study the timing of exposure to breast cancer risk factors. Given the high breast cancer mortality rate on Staten Island, this paper presents a case-control study investigating breast cancer risk associated with puberty while living on Staten Island. The dataset combined New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene female death certificate information between 1985 and 2006, with life …

Use, Perceptions, And Awareness Of Libguides Among Undergraduate And Graduate Health Professions Students, John Carey, Ajatshatru Pathak, Sarah C. Johnson

Publications and Research

Objective–This study investigated usage, perceptions, and awareness of library research guides created using Springshare’s LibGuides among undergraduate and graduate health professions students.

Methods–The researchers recruited 100 health professions students in April 2017 from Hunter College, a senior college within the City University of New York system. Participants were asked to complete a paper survey to ascertain their use, perceptions, and awareness of Springhare’s LibGuides.

Results–Nearly two-thirds of study participants were not aware of library-created LibGuides and 68% had never used this tool. Compared to undergraduates, graduate students were more likely to be aware of LibGuides. The use of LibGuides was …

Enhancing Global Health Communication During A Crisis: Lessons From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Scott C. Ratzan, Silvia Sommarivac, Lauren Rauh

Publications and Research

Background/objective: The understanding and practice of public health crisis communication are improved through the study of responses to past crises, but require retooling for present challenges. The ‘Addressing Ebola and other outbreaks’ checklist contains guiding principles built upon maxims developed from a World Health Organization consultation in response to the mad cow (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) crisis that were later adopted for Ebola. The purpose of this article is to adapt the checklist for the health communication challenges and public health practices that have emerged during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The communication challenges of promoting vaccine acceptance are used …

Two Nights Of Recovery Sleep Restores Hippocampal Connectivity But Not Episodic Memory After Total Sleep Deprivation, Ya Chai, Zhuo Fang, Fan Nils Yang, Sihua Xu, Yao Deng, Andrew Raine, Jieqiong Wang, Meichen Yu, Mathias Basner, Namni Goel, Junghoon J. Kim, David A. Wolk, John A. Detre, David F. Dinges, Hengyi Rao

Publications and Research

Sleep deprivation significantly impairs a range of cognitive and brain function, particularly episodic memory and the underlying hippocampal function. However, it remains controversial whether one or two nights of recovery sleep following sleep deprivation fully restores brain and cognitive function. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and examined the effects of two consecutive nights (20-hour time-in-bed) of recovery sleep on resting-state hippocampal connectivity and episodic memory deficits following one night of total sleep deprivation (TSD) in 39 healthy adults in a controlled in-laboratory protocol. TSD significantly reduced memory performance in a scene recognition task, impaired hippocampal …

An Osteocalcin-Deficient Mouse Strain Without Endocrine Abnormalities, Cassandra R. Diegel, Steven Hann, Ugar M. Ayturk, Jennifer C. W. Hu, Kyungeun Lim, Casey J. Droscha, Zachary B. Madaj, Gabrielle E. Foxa, Isaac Izaguirre, Vai Vivarium And Transgenics Core, Noorulain Paracha, Bohdan Pidhaynyy, Terry L. Dowd, Alexandra G. Robling, Matthew L. Warman, Bart O. Williams

Publications and Research

Osteocalcin (OCN), the most abundant noncollagenous protein in the bone matrix, is reported to be a bone-derived endocrine hormone with wide-ranging effects on many aspects of physiology, including glucose metabolism and male fertility. Many of these observations were made using an OCN-deficient mouse allele (Osc– ) in which the 2 OCN-encoding genes in mice, Bglap and Bglap2, were deleted in ES cells by homologous recombination. Here we describe mice with a new Bglap and Bglap2 double-knockout (dko) allele (Bglap/2p.Pro25fs17Ter) that was generated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing. Mice homozygous for this new allele do not express full-length Bglap or Bglap2 mRNA …

Racism And The Political Economy Of Covid-19: Will We Continue To Resurrect The Past?, Zinzi D. Bailey, J. Robin Moon

Publications and Research

COVID-19 is not spreading over a level playing field; structural racism is embedded within the fabric of American culture, infrastructure investments, and public policy, and fundamentally drives inequities. The same racism that has driven the systematic dismantling of the American social safety-net has also created the policy recipe for American structural vulnerability to the impacts of this and other pandemics. The Bronx provides an important case study for investigating the historical roots of structural inequities showcased by this pandemic; current lived experiences of Bronx residents are rooted in the racialized dismantling of New York City’s public infrastructure and systematic disinvestment. …

Effectiveness And Safety Of Oral Anticoagulants Among Nvaf Patients With Obesity: Insights From The Aristophanes Study, Steve Deitelzweig, Allison Keshishian, Amiee Kang, Amol Dhamane, Xuemei Luo, Xiaoyan Li, Neeraja Balachander, Lisa Rosenblatt, Jack Mardekian, Xianying Pan, Manuela Di Fusco, Alessandra B. Garcia Reeves, Huseyin Yuce, Gregory Y. H. Lip

Publications and Research

This ARISTOPHANES analysis examined stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding (MB) among a subgroup of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients with obesity prescribed warfarin or non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in order to inform clinical decision making. A retrospective observational study was conducted among NVAF patients who were obese and initiated apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or warfarin from 1 January 2013–30 September 2015, with data pooled from CMS Medicare and four US commercial claims databases. Propensity score matching was completed between NOACs and against warfarin in each database, and the results were pooled. Cox models were used to evaluate the …

A Role For Retinoids In The Treatment Of Covid-19?, Steven E. Trasino

Publications and Research

The 2020 global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) is a serious threat to international health, and thus, there is an urgent need for discoverynof novel therapies or use of repurposed drugs that can make a significant impact on slowing the spread of the virus. Type 1 interferons (IFN-I) are a family cytokines of the early innate immune response to viruses that are being tested against SARSCoV- 2. However, coronaviruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 can suppress host IFN-I antiviral responses. Retinoids are a family molecules related to vitamin A that possess robust immune-modulating properties, including the ability to increase …

Post-Infectious Sequela Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Adults And Children: An Overview Of Available Agents And Clinical Responsiveness, David S. Younger

Publications and Research

The SARS-CoV-2 2019 pandemic has created challenges to managing the post-infectious autoimmune consequences of a disease that leads to the high case fatality in adults and children. The spectrum of agents available to modulate and suppress the immune system in combination with other appropriate antiviral antibiotics and life support measures is reviewed. All of the agents envisioned to treat Covid-19 disorders, including a newly recognized pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome, impact post-infectious mechanisms in keeping with the multiplier effect of infection, immunity and inflammation known as I-Cubed (I3).

Studying Public Perception About Vaccination: A Sentiment Analysis Of Tweets, Viju Raghupathi, Jie Ren, Wullianallur Raghupathi

Publications and Research

Text analysis has been used by scholars to research attitudes toward vaccination and is particularly timely due to the rise of medical misinformation via social media. This study uses a sample of 9581 vaccine-related tweets in the period 1 January 2019 to 5 April 2019. The time period is of the essence because during this time, a measles outbreak was prevalent throughout the United States and a public debate was raging. Sentiment analysis is applied to the sample, clustering the data into topics using the term frequency–inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) technique. The analyses suggest that most (about 77%) of the …

Healthcare Expenditure And Economic Performance: Insights From The United States Data, Viju Raghupathi, Wullianallur Raghupathi

Publications and Research

This research explores the association of public health expenditure with economic performance across the United States. Healthcare expenditure can result in better provision of health opportunities, which can strengthen human capital and improve the productivity, thereby contributing to economic performance. It is therefore important to assess the phenomenon of healthcare spending in a country. Using visual analytics, we collected economic and health data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the years 2003–2014. The overall results strongly suggest a positive correlation between healthcare expenditure and the economic indicators of income, GDP, and labor productivity. …

Pain Management: Genetic Basis For Racial Disparities?, Brittany Taylor

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Sleep-Wake Disturbances In Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Meta Analysis Of Literature And Modeling Of Cerebral Tissue Vulnerability, Xiangfu Zhang, Subhendra Sarkar, Mary A. Browne

Publications and Research

Sleep disturbance is a frequent complaint for patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), it can prolong recovery, and the oxidative stress from lack of sleep could worsen other secondary damages of mTBI. The common types of sleep disturbance of mTBI include insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and obstructive sleep apnea. Conventional imaging often fails to detect any abnormalities in mTBI, and the etiology of sleep disturbance is still unclear. Based on the analysis of current published neurobiological and imaging literature, multiple factors could play a role leading to sleep disturbance in mTBI, however, we have focused on the diencephalon, melatonin and …

Presence Of Electron Donor/Acceptor Radiographic Contrast Media In Unusual Photosynthesis Environment Of Fresh Plant Cells: Near-Infrared And X-Ray Characterization, Tetiana Soloviova, Subhendra Sarkar, Amina Shahbaz, Aldona Gjoni

Publications and Research

Photosynthesis is a chemical process through which light energy is used to convert inorganic material (water and carbon dioxide) into organic molecules. Anaerobic photosynthesis, also known as anoxygenic photosynthesis, is the process by which certain bacteria use light energy to create organic compounds but do not adequately involve oxygen. In this experiment we are trying to influence photosynthesis (light and dark reactions: PS-I and PS-II by electron rich gadolinium/iodine complexes like Eovist and Isovue. We also performed X-ray and NIR reflection spectroscopy (NIRS) to measure Gd difusivity and PS-I/II infrared response. The results for X-ray (45kvp and 5 Mas ) …