Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Transcriptome Sequencing Of The Blind Subterranean Mole Rat, Spalax Galili: Utility And Potential For The Discovery Of Novel Evolutionary Patterns, Assaf Malik, Abraham Korol, Sariel Hubner, Aaron Avivi, Alvaro Hernandez, Jyothi Thimmapuram, Shahjahan Ali, Mark Bond, Fabian Glaser, Arnon Paz

Cyber Center Publications

The blind subterranean mole rat (Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies) is a model animal for survival under extreme environments due to its ability to live in underground habitats under severe hypoxic stress and darkness. Here we report the transcriptome sequencing of Spalax galili, a chromosomal type of S. ehrenbergi. cDNA pools from muscle and brain tissues isolated from animals exposed to hypoxic and normoxic conditions were sequenced using Sanger, GS FLX, and GS FLX Titanium technologies. Assembly of the sequences yielded over 51,000 isotigs with homology to ~12,000 mouse, rat or human genes. Based on these results, it was …

Dietary Triglycerides Profoundly Affect Oral Sensitization To Peanut Protein In An Adjuvant-Free Mouse Model Of Peanut Allergy, Erik Eckhardt, Jianing Li

Internal Medicine Presentations

Peanuts and peanut butter contain significant amounts of long-chain triglycerides (LCT), which stimulate lymphatic chylomicron transport. We have recently reported that intestinal absorption of a dietary antigen (ovalbumin; (OVA)) is significantly enhanced when chylomicron formation is induced. This prompted us to investigate the effect of LCT on oral sensitization to concomitantly ingested protein antigens.

Validating The Pridit Method For Determining Hospital Quality With Outcomes Data., Robert D. Lieberthal, Phd, Dominique Comer, Pharmd, Katherine O’Connell, Bs

College of Population Health Lectures, Presentations, Workshops

Presented for The 46th Actuarial Research Conference, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.

15 PowerPoint slides

Development Of Dose Conversion Coefficients For Radionuclides Produced In Spallation Neutron Sources, Phillip W. Patton

Transmutation Sciences Physics (TRP)

A research consortium comprised of representatives from several universities and national laboratories will be established as part of this project to generate internal and external dose conversion coefficients for radionuclides produced in spallation neutron sources. Information obtained from this multi-year study will be used to support the siting and licensing of future accelerator-driven nuclear initiatives within the U.S. Department of Energy complex, including the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) and Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) projects. Determination of these coefficients will also fill data gaps for several hundred radionuclides that exist in Federal Guidance Report (FGR) No. 11 and in Publications …

Letters To The Editor

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

We welcome all letters to the editor and encourage authors to reply. Input from residents and faculty on ideas presented in the Journal create an arena for discussion and dialogue that is the ultimate purpose of this undertaking.

Post Psychotic Depression In A Patient Who Castrated Himself, Harvey Stabinsky, Md, Jd, Susan Stabinsky, Md, Alfred Wiener, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

With this article we inaugurate our efforts to expand the scope of the Journal beyond the walls of Jefferson. We thus open the Journal to residents of all programsand invite them to share their clinical experience and research. Circulation will include contributing programs.

Introduction

The differential diagnosis of psychosis associated with depression includes schizophrenia, schizoaffective and major affective disorders. Depression associated with schizophrenia may be a prominent feature of the patient's early presentation (I), or manifest itself only as the psychotic symptoms resolve (2, 3). Neuroleptics may play a causal role in the development of post-psychotic depression . This drug …

A Forty-Year-Old Woman With A History Of Psychosis And A Seizure Disorder, Jeffrey R. Sarnoff, Md, Robert E. Morrow, Md, Sharon Riser, Md, Ann E. Steel, Md, Jacob Berman, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

In this issue of the Journal, we are introducing a new section. the Interdisciplinary Case Conference. Our goal will be to present psychiatric patients in whom pathology is demonstrable not only by interview, but also by physical examination,laboratory studies. and radiographic imaging techniques.

Book Review, John Matt Dorn, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY AND THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHODYNAMICS

David H. Malan, D.M., FRC Psych London: Butterworth , 1979 275 pp., $24.95

Psychosis In A Patient With Autoimmune Deficiency Syndrome, Vivian Charneco, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Introduction

Autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease whose incidence has grownprecipitously in recent years. Its victims face social and psychological isolation (I) .Contributing to this isolation is the fear of contact with AIDS patients that exists among health care workers and the public (2).

Increasingly more is being under stood about this mysterious disease. Recent reports have supported a viral etiology. The chief criterion for diagnosis is an inverted helper to suppressor T-cell ratio. Other supportive findings include lymphopenia,leukopenia, elevated IgA levels, and anergia. The following case report highlights the neurological and psychiatric symptoms that may be seen in …

Chronic Pain, Roberta Ball, Do

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

A complex problem of vast dimensions, chronic pain is receiving increasing attention due to the expansion of knowledge of the neurophysiology, neurochemistry and psychology of pain. Chronic pain presents a challenge to many disciplines in the health professions, and one that is more recently being presented to the psychiatrist.This paper will attempt to define the problem of chronic pain, to explore the concept of organic versus psychogenic pain, to describe the psychodynamics and other characteristics seen in the chronic pain patient and to discuss the importance of the psychiatristin evaluation and treatment of chronic pain .

The Evaluation And Treatment Of A Patient With Anorexia Nervosa, Gail S. Greenspan, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Introduction

Anorexia nervosa is a serious illness that has generated enormous public interest during recent times. Within the psychiatric field, numerous articles and books have been written about this syndrome. This literature reflects varied theoretical frameworks, from primarily biological approaches to family systems to psychodynamic theory. In this paper I will attempt to integrate family systems and psychodynamic theory in an understanding of a young woman with anorexia nervosa who was treated in a hospital setting.

Faculty Advisor's Column, Harvey J. Schwartz, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

This issue of our Journal marks a new stage in our development. We have started accepting papers from residency programs other than our own. Encouraged by the enthusiastic response our prior issues have elicited from psychiatric educators around the country, we are embarking on a program of expansion. In doing so we hope to provide a unique arena for psychiatric resident thinking. Residents nationwide are invited to share with each other and their faculties, their discoveries, their uncertaintiesand the newness with which they view their work.

The Efficacy Of Social Communication Intervention In Improving Emotion Inferencing For School-Aged Children With Language Impairment, Matthew Keith Frank

Theses and Dissertations

Children with language impairment (LI) have demonstrated several language problems, including receptive and expressive deficits. A growing body of research has further demonstrated emotion understanding and, more specifically, emotion inferencing deficits that negatively affect the ability of this population to use language successfully in social interactions. Consequently, the present study examines social communication intervention focused on improving emotion inferencing for children with a diagnosis of LI or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as similar social communication deficits are occasionally seen in children with these diagnoses. Study participants were identified from the caseload of a practicing certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) and qualified …

Targeted Over-Expression Of Glutamate Transporter 1 (Glt-1) Reduces Ischemic Brain Injury In A Rat Model Of Stroke, Brandon K. Harvey, Mikko Airavaara, Jason Michael Hinzman, Emily M. Wires, Matthew J. Chiocco, Douglas B. Howard, Hui Shen, Greg A. Gerhardt, Barry J. Hoffer, Yun Wang

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Following the onset of an ischemic brain injury, the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate is released. The excitotoxic effects of glutamate are a major contributor to the pathogenesis of a stroke. The aim of this study was to examine if overexpression of a glutamate transporter (GLT-1) reduces ischemic brain injury in a rat model of stroke. We generated an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector expressing the rat GLT-1 cDNA (AAV-GLT1). Functional expression of AAV-GLT1 was confirmed by increased glutamate clearance rate in non-stroke rat brain as measured by in vivo amperometry. AAV-GLT1 was injected into future cortical region of infarction 3 weeks prior …

Resistant Thyrotoxicosis In A Patient With Graves Disease: A Case Report, Taimur Saleem, Aisha Sheikh, Qamar Masood

Section of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism

Background: Conventional management of thyrotoxicosis includes antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine, and surgery while adjunctive treatment includes beta-blockers, corticosteroids, inorganic iodide and iopanoic acid. Very rarely, patients may be resistant to these modalities and require additional management.

Case Presentation: A 50-year-old lady presented with weight loss and palpitations diagnosed as atrial fibrillation. Her past history was significant for right thyroid lobectomy for thyrotoxicosis. Thyroid functions tests at this presentation showed free T4 of 6.63 ng/dl (normal range: 0.93-1.7) and TSH of <0.005 μIU/mL (normal range: 0.4-4.0). She was given aspirin, propranolol, heparin and carbimazole; however free T4 failed to normalize. Switching to propylthiouracil (PTU) did not prove successful. She was then given high doses of prednisolone (1 mg/kg/day) and lithium (400 mg twice daily) which prepared the patient for radioactive iodine treatment by reducing free T4 levels (2.82 ng/dl). Two doses of radioactive iodine were then administered 6 months apart. Subsequently she became hypothyroid and was started on thyroid replacement therapy.

Conclusion: This case highlights management options in patients with resistant thyrotoxicosis. Radioactive iodine and surgery are definitive modes …

Combination Of Virb Binding Site Mutations To Evaluate Collective Impact On Icsp Promoter Activity In Shigella Flexneri, Pashtana Usufuzy, Juan C. Duhart, Maria I. Castellanos, Helen Wing

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Shigella flexneri is a gram-negative, invasive bacterial pathogen that afflicts the human colonic epithelium, causing shigellosis, an illness triggering severe dysentery. The World Health Organization cites the disease burden of shigellosis near 90 million episodes and 108,000 deaths per year.

The motility and spread of Shigella is modulated by icsP, a virulence gene. The transcription factor VirB positively regulates many virulence genes encoded by the Shigella virulence plasmid. Two distal binding sites of VirB have been shown to regulate the promoter activity of icsP, despite their location of more than 1 kb upstream of the transcription start site. Five VirB …

The Use Of Chloramines To Eradicate Quagga Mussel Larvae, Trea Lacroix, Kumud Acharya

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Quagga Mussels, Dressenia bugensis, are a growing problem in the western United States, particularly in their ability to infest underwater infrastructures and clog water intake pipes and screens of power and treatment plants. Chlorine has been found to be the most effective chemical to get rid of veligers (planktonic larval form of quagga mussels) in the pipes. However, chlorine leaves a residue called trihalomethane, which is a carcinogen at higher concentrations. The purpose of this project is to test the effectiveness of an alternate chemical, chloramines (chlorine and ammonia), which leaves behind little to no residual trihalomethane. Upon experimentation with …

Aids/Hiv Denialism: Patients' Privacy Rights, Fadia Abdullah, Guadalupe Medrano

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

HIV is a sexually transmitted disease that develops into AIDS. There is no cure for it, only treatment. In this poster, we look at the pros and cons of disclosing this type of information. People who decide to disclose their HIV status may have various reasons for doing so, but most do it for emotional support and for prevention of spreading the disease. Those who decide to keep it private primarily do it to not face rejection, discrimination, degradation, and loss of respect. (Petronio Page 72) The problem with creating a public database is that many organizations are against the …

Cell Migration Dynamics After Alteration Of Cell-Cell Contacts In Fibrosarcoma And Glioblastoma Cell Lines, Hassan S. Rizvi, Ronald K. Gary

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Cell migration is a vital component of metastasis. In this study, our intent was to study cell migration by alteration of the Wnt/GSK-3 Pathway. Since BeSO4 is a known GSK-3 kinase inhibitor, we hypothesized that this agent would cause cell migration to decrease as a result of β-catenin stabilization. Two human cell lines, HT-1080 (fibrosarcoma) and A172 (glioblastoma), were used to observe migration levels in the presence and absence of BeSO4. Our results show that cell migration is diminished for cells that were pre-treated with BeSO4, in comparison to the untreated (control) cells.

Regulation Of The Shigella Flexneri Icsp Gene And H-Ns Dependent Repression, Rosa Ojeda, Amanda Wigley, Dustin Harrison, Helen Wing

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

The gram negative bacterium Shigella flexneri is known to cause dysentery in humans and primates. In order to help prevent the spread of shigellosis, gene regulation must be understood. Studies show that the virulence genes in S .flexneri are thermo regulated. At 30°C histone-like nucleoid structuring protein (H-NS) represses transcription of virulence genes and at 37°C VirB derepresses virulence genes. One of the genes that contribute to the virulence of S. flexneri is icsP. My project focuses on the regulation of the S. flexneri icsP gene and has two main goals. The first is to identify the sequence of H-NS …

Defining The Role Of Nras In Melanoma Maintenance, Sravya T. Challa, Sheri L. Holmen

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

The incidence of melanoma has increased 600 percent over the last four decades; it is the most rapidly increasing malignancy among young people in the United States and is currently the leading cause of cancer death in women aged 25- 29. If detected early, the disease is easily treated; however, once the disease has metastasized it is largely refractory to conventional therapies and is associated with a high mortality rate. The development of cancer from a pre-malignant primary tumor to a metastatic cancer that develops at secondary sites is a multi-step process, thought to require many genetic and epigenetic events …

Bending The Health Care Cost Curve In North Carolina: The Experience Of Community Health Centers, Patrick Richard, Peter Shin, Kristina Vasilkovska, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

North Carolina is known for innovative practices in primary care delivery and education, and accordingly one might expect to see greater efficiencies overall in care delivery, and less direct, measurable impact by community health centers on cost and outcome. Of interest is whether community health centers (CHCs) are cost effective providers in states with a sophisticated primary care infrastructure and focus on the needs of medically underserved communities. Building on the large body of health services research literature that has documented the quality and cost-effectiveness of federally-funded primary health centers nationwide, as well as estimates of national savings that are …

Tlr4 Mutation Reduces Microglial Activation, Increases Aβ Deposits And Exacerbates Cognitive Deficits In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Min Song, Jingji Jin, Jinghong Kou, Abhinandan Pattanayak, Jamaal Rehman, Hong-Duck Kim, Ken-Ichiro Fukuchi

NYMC Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Amyloid plaques, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), are accompanied by activated microglia. The role of activated microglia in the pathogenesis of AD remains controversial: either clearing Aβ deposits by phagocytosis or releasing proinflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic substances. Microglia can be activated via toll-like receptors (TLRs), a class of pattern-recognition receptors in the innate immune system. We previously demonstrated that an AD mouse model homozygous for a loss-of-function mutation of TLR4 had increases in Aβ deposits and buffer-soluble Aβ in the brain as compared with a TLR4 wild-type AD mouse model at 14-16 months of age. However, it …

Colorectal Cancer (Crc) Vaccine Study: Aim 2 Internship Experience, Selasie Goka

Summer Training Program in Cancer Immunotherapy

Activities:

1. Conducted literature review

2. CRC vaccine study booklet and survey

3. Recruitment survey questionnaire

4. Prepare web-based decision counseling program

38 PowerPoint Slides.

International Evidence On Medical Spending Risk., Robert D. Lieberthal, Phd

College of Population Health Lectures, Presentations, Workshops

Presented for the American Risk and Insurance Association. 2011 ARIA Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.

20 PowerPoint slides.

Presentation is associated with the paper: http://jdc.jefferson.edu/healthpolicyfaculty/45/

Feasibility And Results Of A Computer-Based Driver Safety Assessment, Thomas J. Mahoney

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

A Pre And Post Exercise Comparison Of Three Assessment Tools Commonly Employed To Assess Vascular Function, Lorena Salom

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is one of the earliest subclinical indicators of impaired cardiovascular health and several non-invasive tools have been developed to evaluate vascular function, including strain gauge plethysmography (SGP), brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) via ultrasound, and peripheral artery tonometry (PAT). While these tools have extensively been studied during a resting condition, the responses following acute exercise are not as well characterized. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the pre- and post-exercise vascular function values obtained with SGP, FMD, and PAT. Relationships among the primary outcome variables obtained with each assessment tool were also evaluated. …

The Holistic Complementary Structure Of Western Bio-Medicine And Traditional Healing And Achieving Complete Health, Candace Gail Oubre

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Achieving complete health requires a deep understanding of complementary cultural competency sensitivity between physician and patient. This may include but is not limited to access to preventative health care resources, access to health educational resources and access to cultural healing resources, for example, shamans, Ayurvedic physicians, and herbal healers. Advocates of cultural competency emphasize great importance on knowledge of the patients' cultural background; however, the transcendence of this knowledge can be explained further through complementary cultural competency sensitivity. This is when the cultures of the physician and patient complement each other in terms of understanding what is in the patients' …

Method And Apparatus For In Vivo Collection Of Circulating Biological Components, Dave S B Hoon, Bret Taback, Samuel Shaolian

Technology Transfer - Patents

The invention relates generally to in vivo collection of circulating molecules, tumor cells and other biological markers using a collecting probe. The probe is configured for placement within a living organism for an extended period of time to provide sufficient yield of biological marker for analysis. In some embodiments of the invention, active attraction of biological markers are provided. A partial or complete analytic/detection assembly may also be integrated with the probe.

Managing The Healthcare Needs Of Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Parents' Experience, Julie Strunk

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of parents who manage the health needs of an adolescent with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Qualitative interviews were conducted with parents from 10 families of adolescents with ASD residing in Virginia. Data were analyzed using Clark Moustakas’ method of analysis of data in which the phenomenologist asks the following questions: What are the individual’s experiences, and in what context did they experience them? This study maximized credibility by using three strategies: prolonged engagement, peer debriefing, and member checking. “Parents needing help” emerged as the essence of the parents’ experiences. …