Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Reducing Gastrointestinal Anastomotic Leak Rates: Review Of Challenges And Solutions, Benjamin Philllips

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Various techniques and interventions have been developed in an effort to obviate gastrointestinal anastomotic leaks. This review is intended to delineate potential modifications that can be made to reduce the risk of anastomotic leaks following gastrointestinal surgery. It may also serve to aid in identifying patients who are at increased risk of anastomotic leak. Modifiable risk factors for leak discussed include malnutrition, smoking, steroid use, bowel preparation, chemotherapy, duration of surgery, use of pressors, intravenous fluid administration, blood transfusion, and surgical anastomotic technique. Based upon literature review, operative techniques should include minimizing operative time, reducing ischemia, and utilizing stapled anastomoses. …

Lack Of K13 Mutations In Plasmodium Falciparum Persisting After Artemisinin Combination Therapy Treatment Of Kenyan Children, Julian Muwanguzi, Gisela Henriques, Patrick Sawa, Teun Bousema, Colin J. Sutherland, Khalid B. Beshir

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Studies in Southeast Asia reported a strong relationship between polymorphisms at the propeller domain of the Kelch 13 (K13) protein encoded by the Plasmodium falciparum k13 (pfk13) gene and delayed parasite clearance after artemisinin treatment. In Africa, P. falciparum remains susceptible and combination therapy regimens which include an artemisinin component display good efficacy. Using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), sub-microscopic persistence of P. falciparum has previously been reported in one-third of children treated with artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) in western Kenya. In this study, further investigation was made to evaluate whether these sub-microscopic residual parasites also harbour mutations at the …

Use Of Mobile Devices To Access Resources Among Health Professions Students: A Systematic Review, Misa Mi, Wendy Wu, Maylene Qiu, Yingting Zhang, Lin Wu, Jie Li

Library Scholarly Publications

This systematic review examines types of mobile devices used by health professions students, kinds of resources and tools accessed via mobile devices, and reasons for using the devices to access the resources and tools. The review included 20 studies selected from articles published in English between January 2010 and April 2015, retrieved from PubMed and other sources. Data extracted included participants, study designs, mobile devices used, mobile resources/apps accessed, outcome measures, and advantages of and barriers to using mobile devices. The review indicates significant variability across the studies in terms of research methods, types of mobile programs implemented, resources accessed, …

H2ax Deficiency Is Associated With Erythroid Dysplasia And Compromised Haematopoietic Stem Cell Function, Baobing Zhao, Timothy L. Tan, Yang Mei, Jing Yang, Yiting Yu, Amit Verma, Ying Liang, Juehua Gao, Peng Ji

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal disorders of haematopoiesis characterised by dysplastic changes of major myeloid cell lines. However, the mechanisms underlying these dysplastic changes are poorly understood. Here, we used a genetically modified mouse model and human patient data to examine the physiological roles of H2AX in haematopoiesis and how the loss of H2AX contributes to dyserythropoiesis in MDS. H2AX knockout mice showed cell-autonomous anaemia and erythroid dysplasia, mimicking dyserythropoiesis in MDS. Also, dyserythropoiesis was increased in MDS patients with the deletion of chromosome 11q23, where H2AX is located. Although loss of H2AX did not affect the early stage of …

Cross-Platform Normalization Of Microarray And Rna-Seq Data For Machine Learning Applications, Jeffrey A. Thompson, Jie Tan, Casey S. Greene

Dartmouth Scholarship

Large, publicly available gene expression datasets are often analyzed with the aid of machine learning algorithms. Although RNA-seq is increasingly the technology of choice, a wealth of expression data already exist in the form of microarray data. If machine learning models built from legacy data can be applied to RNA-seq data, larger, more diverse training datasets can be created and validation can be performed on newly generated data. We developed Training Distribution Matching (TDM), which transforms RNA-seq data for use with models constructed from legacy platforms. We evaluated TDM, as well as quantile normalization, nonparanormal transformation, and a simple log …

The 40-Residue Insertion In Vibrio Cholerae Fadr Facilitates Binding Of An Additional Fatty Acyl-Coa Ligand, Wei Shi, Gabriela Kovacikova, Wei Lin, Ronald. K. Taylor, Karen Skorupski, F. Jon Kull

Dartmouth Scholarship

FadR is a master regulator of fatty acid metabolism and influences virulence in certain members of Vibrionaceae. Among FadR homologues of the GntR family, the Vibrionaceae protein is unusual in that it contains a C-terminal 40-residue insertion. Here we report the structure of Vibrio cholerae FadR (VcFadR) alone, bound to DNA, and in the presence of a ligand, oleoyl-CoA. Whereas Escherichia coli FadR (EcFadR) contains only one acyl-CoA-binding site in each monomer, crystallographic and calorimetric data indicate that VcFadR has two. One of the binding sites resembles that of EcFadR, whereas the other, comprised residues from the insertion, has not …

Models For Hsv Shedding Must Account For Two Levels Of Overdispersion, Amalia Magaret

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

We have frequently implemented crossover studies to evaluate new therapeutic interventions for genital herpes simplex virus infection. The outcome measured to assess the efficacy of interventions on herpes disease severity is the viral shedding rate, defined as the frequency of detection of HSV on the genital skin and mucosa. We performed a simulation study to ascertain whether our standard model, which we have used previously, was appropriately considering all the necessary features of the shedding data to provide correct inference. We simulated shedding data under our standard, validated assumptions and assessed the ability of 5 different models to reproduce the …

Bleeding Control - The Next Step In Active Shooter Guidance, Birch X. Barron

Homeland Security Publications

No abstract provided.

January 20, 2016, Communication Disorders & Sciences

Faculty Meeting Minutes & Agendas

Meeting minutes of the January 20, 2016 Faculty Committee meeting.

Hyaluronidase And Hyaluronan Oligosaccharides Promote Neurological Recovery After Intraventricular Hemorrhage, Govindaiah Vinukonda, Preeti Dohare, Arslan Arshad, Muhammad T. Zia, Sanjeet Panda, Ritesh Korumilli, Praveen Ballabh

NYMC Faculty Publications

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in premature infants results in inflammation, arrested oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) maturation, and reduced myelination of the white matter. Hyaluronan (HA) inhibits OPC maturation and complexes with the heavy chain (HC) of glycoprotein inter-α-inhibitor to form pathological HA (HC-HA complex), which exacerbates inflammation. Therefore, we hypothesized that IVH would result in accumulation of HA, and that either degradation of HA by hyaluronidase treatment or elimination of HCs from pathological HA by HA oligosaccharide administration would restore OPC maturation, myelination, and neurological function in survivors with IVH. To test these hypotheses, we used the preterm rabbit model of …

Reversible Recruitment Of A Homeostatic Reserve Pool Of Synaptic Vesicles Underlies Rapid Homeostatic Plasticity Of Quantal Content, Xueyong Wang, Martin J. Pinter, Mark M. Rich

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Homeostatic regulation is essential for the maintenance of synaptic strength within the physiological range. The current study is the first to demonstrate that both induction and reversal of homeostatic upregulation of synaptic vesicle release can occur within seconds of blocking or unblocking acetylcholine receptors at the mouse neuromuscular junction. Our data suggest that the homeostatic upregulation of release is due to Ca²⁺-dependent increase in the size of the readily releasable pool (RRP). Blocking vesicle refilling prevented upregulation of quantal content (QC), while leaving baseline release relatively unaffected. This suggested that the upregulation of QC was due to mobilization …

Cerebellopontine Angle Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor Mimicking Trigeminal Schwannoma, Saad Akhtar Khan, Badar Uddin Ujjan, Adnan Salim, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Section of Neurosurgery

Background: Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) comprise a group of aggressive, poorly differentiated embryonal tumors occurring in central nervous system as well as in peripheral locations. Primary cerebellopontine angle (CPA) PNET is an extremely rare entity. It is important to have knowledge of this pathology and to be able to differentiate it from other commonly occurring CPA tumors, such as vestibular and trigeminal schwannomas. This distinction is essential because of the difference in the overall treatment plan and prognosis.
Case description: This report describes a case of a young male presenting with diplopia and numbness of face; magnetic resonance imaging showed …

Harvesting Health: A Community-Based Participatory Evaluation Of The Veggie Rx Program, Natalie Royal, Kristin Brown, Fanny Rodriguez, Bianca Fernandez, Leticia Valle, Elizur Bello

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Pathological Tau Promotes Neuronal Damage By Impairing Ribosomal Function And Decreasing Protein Synthesis, Shelby Meier, Michelle Bell, Danielle N. Lyons, Jennifer Rodriguez-Rivera, Alexandria Ingram, Sarah N. Fontaine, Elizabeth Mechas, Jing Chen, Benjamin Wolozin, Harry Levine Iii, Haining Zhu, Jose F. Abisambra

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

One of the most common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies is memory loss. The exact mechanisms leading to memory loss in tauopathies are not yet known; however, decreased translation due to ribosomal dysfunction has been implicated as a part of this process. Here we use a proteomics approach that incorporates subcellular fractionation and coimmunoprecipitation of tau from human AD and non-demented control brains to identify novel interactions between tau and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We show that ribosomes associate more closely with tau in AD than with tau in control brains, and that this abnormal association leads …

Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 (Fgf23) Levels, Phosphate Intake And Its Association With Indices Of Renal Handling Of Phosphate In Healthy Volunteers, Noreen Abbas, Aysha Habib Khan, Farooq Ghani, Imran Siddiqui

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

FGF23 is a novel phosphaturic hormone; we aimed to assess the FGF23 levels and its association with dietary phosphate intake and indices of renal handling of phosphate in this study. Prospective study was conducted in which dietary phosphate intake was assessed by food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) along with blood and spot urine samples were collected after overnight fast for determining serum phosphate, FGF23, fractional excretion of phosphate (FePO4 ) and tubular maximum for phosphate (TmP/GFR). FGF23 (C-Term) was measured by a sandwich ELISA. The mean dietary phosphate intake of eighty healthy adults (mean age of 29 ± 5 years) was …

Antigen Specific Induced T Regulatory Cellular Therapy For Graft-Versus-Host Disease Following Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation, Jessica Lauren Heinrichs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) has been a successful cellular therapy for patients suffering from hematological malignancies for many decades; however, the beneficial effects of graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) are classically offset by graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). GVHD occurs when major and/or minor human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatches between donor and recipient cause rapid expansion and activation of donor effector T cells (Teffs) resulting in end organ damage to the recipient’s epithelial tissues. Given the lymphoproliferative nature of this disease, the standard treatment option is broad immunosuppression, which can result in primary disease relapse, steroid refractory GVHD, and/or opportunistic infection. A more …

Symptom Patterns Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Deaf Trauma Survivors, Melissa L. Anderson, Amanda Sortwell, Kelly S. Wolf Craig, Douglas M. Ziedonis

JADARA

Details about Deaf people’s pattern of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms remain relatively unknown due to inaccessible methods used in most epidemiological research. We conducted semi-structured American Sign Language interviews with 16 trauma-exposed Deaf individuals to explore their PTSD symptom patterns. Half met criteria for current PTSD, a rate higher than the general population. Underlying this disparity may be heightened rates of dissociation and psychogenic amnesia reported by many Deaf trauma survivors. Future research with large samples of Deaf survivors is needed to clarify this hypothesis, and to inform interventions that more accurately target Deaf people’s pattern of trauma symptoms.

Cannibalism, Kuru, And Mad Cows: Prion Disease As A "Choose-Your-Own-Experiment" Case Study To Simulate Scientific Inquiry In Large Lectures., Antonio Serrano, Jeffrey Liebner, Justin K Hines

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Despite significant efforts to reform undergraduate science education, students often perform worse on assessments of perceptions of science after introductory courses, demonstrating a need for new educational interventions to reverse this trend. To address this need, we created An Inexplicable Disease, an engaging, active-learning case study that is unusual because it aims to simulate scientific inquiry by allowing students to iteratively investigate the Kuru epidemic of 1957 in a choose-your-own-experiment format in large lectures. The case emphasizes the importance of specialization and communication in science and is broadly applicable to courses of any size and sub-discipline of the life sciences.

Force Plates: Measuring Human Force Production Using Plate Technology, Hannah Plasterer

The Kabod

Force plate technology is versatile and very useful in the field of biomechanics for measuring human force production. Force plates are used in a variety of settings including rehabilitation, sport performance, and prosthetic training. There are varying options as far as size and material, and these are evaluated based on the type of testing for which the plate will be used. This technology is relatively low-cost and thus provides an excellent tool for numerous settings.

2016 January 19 - Medical Student Education Committee Minutes, Medical Student Education Committee, East Tennessee State University

Medical Student Education Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Week Of January 19, 2016, New York Medical College

InTouch

• SOM Hosts Children's Health Translational Science Institute Workshop
• Renowned Exercise Scientist Set To Speak at 19th Annual Medical Student Research Forum
• AOA History of Medicine Lecture Is Set for February 2
• Micro Mentee is Named an Intel Science Talent Search Semifinalist
• From the Collection of Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A.
• Join Mill Etienne, M.D. '02, M.P.H., at Local Event on Brain Health Awareness

Effect Of Green Tea On Interaction Of Lipid Oxidation Products With Sarcoplasmic And Myofibrillar Protein Homogenates Extracted From Bovine Top Round Muscle, Nahathai Stapornkul, Tatiana Prytkova, Lilian Were

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

The interaction between lipid oxidation products and bovine sarcoplasmic (SP) and myofibrillar protein (MP) homogenates in the presence of green tea was investigated. To monitor the effect of green tea on lipid oxidation, aldehydes were measured while effect on protein was monitored via changes in myoglobin, thiols, and tryptophan fluorescence over nine days of refrigerated storage. The presence of SP and MP decreased free aldehydes in the buffers. The SP bound more aldehydes than MP. The tea compounds exhibited more favorable binding energies than aldehydes near histidine 64 close to the heme moiety of myoglobin. Addition of tea lowered tryptophan …

Clues From The Kidneys: Case Report On End-Stage Pulmonary Fibrosis, Abrill Jones

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Nightly Earplugs On Medical/Surgical Patients’ Perceptions Of Noise Level And Quality Of Sleep, Diana Talania, Myla Malto, Melvin Rivera

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Promoting A Healthy Work Environment In The Icu Through Prayer And Bible Study, Jo Ann Aberilla

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Make It On Time: Quality Improvement In Family Medicine Outpatient Setting, Tatiana Ivan, Karim Hanna, Abrill Jones, Mary O'Meara, Kaitlin Ross, Christopher Dafonseca, Michelle Defreitas, Wendy Marquina, Tanya Cohn

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Gene Deletion By Fluorescence-Reported Allelic Exchange Mutagenesis In Chlamydia Trachomatis, Konrad E. Mueller, Katerina Wolf, Kenneth A. Fields

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Although progress in Chlamydia genetics has been rapid, genomic modification has previously been limited to point mutations and group II intron insertions which truncate protein products. The bacterium has thus far been intractable to gene deletion or more-complex genomic integrations such as allelic exchange. Herein, we present a novel suicide vector dependent on inducible expression of a chlamydial gene that renders Chlamydia trachomatis fully genetically tractable and permits rapid reverse genetics by fluorescence-reported allelic exchange mutagenesis (FRAEM). We describe the first available system of targeting chlamydial genes for deletion or allelic exchange as well as curing plasmids from C. trachomatis …

Physician Assisted Dying: A Turning Point?, Lawrence O. Gostin, Anna E. Roberts

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Physician Assisted Dying (PAD) has been lawful in some countries since the 1940s and in the United States since 1997. There is a body of social and scientific research that has focused on whether the practice has been misused and whether gaps exist in legislative safeguards. There are multiple concerns with physicians assisting patients to die: incompatibility with the physician’s role as a healer, devaluation of human life, coercion of vulnerable individuals (e.g., the poor and disabled), and the risk that PAD will be used beyond a narrow group of terminally ill individuals. Statutes in the United States have been …

Exclusive Breastfeeding Between Mothers Who Delivered Vaginally Versus Cesarean Section: A Retrospective Exploratory Comparative Study, Agueda Hernandez, Wendy Marquina, Michelle Defreitas, Aniel Navarro, Julie Lamoureux, Tanya Cohn

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Network-Based Analysis Of Genetic Variants Associated With Hippocampal Volume In Alzheimer’S Disease: A Study Of Adni Cohorts, Ailin Song, Jingwen Yan, Sungeun Kim, Shannon Leigh Risacher, Aaron K. Wong, Andrew J. Saykin, Li Shen, Casey S. Greene

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background:

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes dementia. While molecular basis of AD is not fully understood, genetic factors are expected to participate in the development and progression of the disease. Our goal was to uncover novel genetic underpinnings of Alzheimer’s disease with a bioinformatics approach that accounts for tissue specificity.

Findings:

We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for hippocampal volume in two Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohorts. We used these GWAS in a subsequent tissue-specific network-wide association study (NetWAS), which applied nominally significant associations in the initial GWAS to identify disease relevant patterns in a …