Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Targeting Wnt/Β-Catenin Pathway In Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment, Valery Vilchez, Lilia M. Turcios, Francesc Marti, Roberto Gedaly

Surgery Faculty Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Liver cancer is generally related to hepatitis B or C infection and cirrhosis. Usually, patients with HCC are asymptomatic and are diagnosed at late stages when surgical treatment is no longer suitable. Limited treatment options for patients with advanced HCC are a major concern. Therefore, there is an urge for finding novel therapies to treat HCC. Liver cancer is highly heterogeneous and involved deregulation of several signaling pathways. Wnt/β-catenin pathway is frequently upregulated in HCC and it is implicated in maintenance of tumor initiating cells, drug …

Transdiagnostic Psychiatric Symptoms And Event-Related Potentials Following Rewarding And Aversive Outcomes, Jeffrey S. Bedwell, Geoffrey Potts, Diane C. Gooding, Benjamin J. Trachik, Chi C. Chan, Christopher C. Spencer

Psychology Faculty Publications

There is a need for a better understanding of transdiagnostic psychiatric symptoms that relate to neurophysiological abnormalities following rewarding and aversive feedback in order to inform development of novel targeted treatments. To address this need, we examined a transdiagnostic sample of 44 adults (mean age: 35.52; 57% female), which consisted of individuals with broadly-defined schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (n = 16), bipolar disorders (n = 10), other mood and anxiety disorders (n = 5), and no history of a psychiatric disorder (n = 13). Participants completed a Pavlovian monetary reward prediction task during 32-channel electroencephalogram recording. We assessed the event-related potentials (ERPs) …

A Public Health Framework For Screening Mammography: Evidence-Based Versus Politically Mandated Care, Lawrence O. Gostin, Kenneth W. Lin Md

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This Viewpoint highlights the societal risks of politically motivated mandates relating to public health guidelines. Although the Affordable Care Act mandated insurance coverage for U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)-recommended preventive services, it went further for mammography screening. Instead of relying on the most recent USPSTF guidelines, Congress amended the ACA to require the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to use its 2002 guidelines, which recommended screening every 1-2 years starting at age 40. The FY 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act instructs DHHS to interpret any reference to “current” USPSTF breast cancer screening recommendations to mean those issued “before …

Research Day Program, 2016, Physical Therapy Department, Arcadia University

Physical Therapy Student Work

Each of the poster presentations and platform sessions summarized in this program represents a collaborative effort between students and faculty in the Physical Therapy Department of Arcadia University, aimed at developing new knowledge to understand mechanisms that inform clinical practice.

Impact Of Tofacitinib On Patient Outcomes In Rheumatoid Arthritis: Review Of Clinical Studies, Eric G. Boyce, Deepti Vyas, Edward L. Rogan, Cynthia S. Valle-Oseguera, Kate M. O'Dell

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, progressive autoimmune disease associated with inflammation and destruction of joints and systemic effects, which result in significant impact on patient's quality of life and function. Tofacitinib was approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in the USA in 2012 and subsequently in other countries, but not by the European Medicines Agency. The goal of this review was to evaluate the impact of tofacitinib on patient-reported and patient-specific outcomes from prior clinical studies, focusing on quality of life, functionality, pain, global disease assessment, major adverse consequences, and withdrawals. A total of 13 reports representing 11 clinical …

Analyzing Clustered Data: Why And How To Account For Multiple Observations Nested Within A Study Participant?, Erika L. Moen, Catherine J. Fricano-Kugler, Bryan W. Luikart, A. James O’Malley

Dartmouth Scholarship

A conventional study design among medical and biological experimentalists involves col- lecting multiple measurements from a study subject. For example, experiments utilizing mouse models in neuroscience often involve collecting multiple neuron measurements per mouse to increase the number of observations without requiring a large number of mice. This leads to a form of statistical dependence referred to as clustering. Inappropriate analy- ses of clustered data have resulted in several recent critiques of neuroscience research that suggest the bar for statistical analyses within the field is set too low. We compare naïve ana- lytical approaches to marginal, fixed-effect, and mixed-effect models …

Adjunctive Phosphodiesterase-4 Inhibitor Therapy Improves Antibiotic Response To Pulmonary Tuberculosis In A Rabbit Model, Selvakumar Subbian, Liana Tsenova, Jennifer Holloway, Blas Peixoto, Paul O'Brien, Veronique Dartois, Vikram Khetani, Jerome B. Zeldis, Gilla Kaplan

Publications and Research

Objectives: Adjunctive host-directed therapy is emerging as a new potential approach to improve the outcome of conventional antimicrobial treatment for tuberculosis (TB).We tested the ability of a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor (PDE4i) CC-11050, co-administered with the first-line anti-TB drug isoniazid (INH), to accelerate bacillary killing and reduce chronic inflammation in the lungs of rabbits with experimental Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection.

Methods: A rabbit model of pulmonary TB that recapitulates the pathologic manifestations seen in humans was used. Rabbits were infected with virulent Mtb by aerosol exposure and treated for eight weeks with INH with orwithout CC-11050, starting at fourweeks post infection. The …

Metastatic Mantle Cell Lymphoma To The Pituitary Gland: Case Report And Literature Review, Arthur Wang, Nathan Carberry, Elena Solli, George Kleinman, Adesh Tandon

NYMC Faculty Publications

We present an unusual case of a metastatic mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) to the pituitary gland. The patient had a known history of MCL for which she previously received chemotherapy. She presented with new-onset diplopia and confusion, and reported a history of progressive vision blurriness associated with headache, nausea, and vomiting. MRI of the brain showed an enhancing lesion within the sella turcica involving the cavernous sinuses bilaterally, extending into Meckel's cave on the left, and abutting the optic nerves bilaterally. Following surgical excision, histopathology revealed the tumor to be a MCL. Metastatic pituitary tumors are rare and have been …

Mary Greenwood Schaal, Mary Greenwood Schaal, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

Dr. Schaal graduated from Jefferson’s Nursing Diploma Program in 1963 and received her BSN from Jefferson in 1981. Though she started her career as an operating room nurse she soon discovered an interest in public health. After coming back to Jefferson for her Bachelor’s degree and then going on to the University of Pennsylvania for her Master’s degree and Rutgers for her Doctorate, she began teaching Community Health to nursing students at Rutgers in Camden. Dr. Schaal then went on to teach in MCP Hahnemann’s graduate program, which is now Drexel, before coming back to Thomas Jefferson University and ending …

Better Cognitive Control Of Emotional Information Is Associated With Reduced Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Reactivity To Emotional Stress, Grant S. Shields, Shari Young Kuchenbecker, Sarah D. Pressman, Ken D. Sumida, George M. Slavich

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Stress is strongly associated with several mental and physical health problems that involve inflammation, including asthma, cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and depression. It has been hypothesized that better cognitive control of emotional information may lead to reduced inflammatory reactivity to stress and thus better health, but to date no studies have examined whether differences in cognitive control predict pro-inflammatory cytokine responses to stress. To address this issue, we conducted a laboratory-based experimental study in which we randomly assigned healthy young-adult females to either an acute emotional stress (emotionally evocative video) or no-stress (control video) condition. Salivary levels of …

Reorienting Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health Research: Reflections From An International Conference, Kristien Michielsen, Sara De Meyer, Olena Ivanova, Ragnar Anderson, Peter Decat, Céline Herbiet, Caroline W. Kabiru, Evert Ketting, James Lees, Caroline Moreau, Deborah L. Tolman, Ine Vanwesenbeeck, Bernardo Vega, Elizabeth Verhetsel, Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli

Publications and Research

On December 4th 2014, the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH) at Ghent University organized an international conference on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) and well-being. This viewpoint highlights two key messages of the conference - 1) ASRH promotion is broadening on different levels and 2) this broadening has important implications for research and interventions – that can guide this research field into the next decade. Adolescent sexuality has long been equated with risk and danger. However, throughout the presentations, it became clear that ASRH and related promotion efforts are broadening on different levels: from risk to well-being, from …

Drug Eluding Stents For Malignant Airway Obstruction: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Wolfgang Hohenforst-Schmidt, Paul Zarogoulidis, Georgia Pitsiou, Bernd Linsmeier, Drosos Tsavlis, Ioannis Kioumis, Eleni Papadaki, Lutz Freitag, Theodora Tsiouda, J. Francis Turner, Robert Browning, Michael Simoff, Nikolaos Sachpekidis, Kosmas Tsakiridis, Bojan Zaric, Lonny Yarmus, Sofia Baka, Grigoris Stratakos, Harald Rittger

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Lung cancer being the most prevalent malignancy in men and the 3rd most frequent in women is still associated with dismal prognosis due to advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Novel targeted therapies are already on the market and several others are under investigation. However non-specific cytotoxic agents still remain the cornerstone of treatment for many patients. Central airways stenosis or obstruction may often complicate and decrease quality of life and survival of these patients. Interventional pulmonology modalities (mainly debulking and stent placement) can alleviate symptoms related to airways stenosis and improve the quality of life of patients. Mitomycin …

Life Saver: Kathryn Kosuda, And Vaxess, May Extend The Global Reach Of Vital Vaccines, Andrew Clark

Colby Magazine

Kathryn Kosuda, And Vaxess, May Extend The Global Reach Of Vital Vaccines.

The Glenn Lab: Associate Professor Melissa Glenn's Hub Of Neuroscience Research Turns Students Into Colleagues, Jenny Chen

Colby Magazine

Associate Professor Melissa Glenn's Hub Of Neuroscience Research Turns Students Into Colleagues. This is the behavioral neuroscience lab of Associate Professor of Psychology Melissa Glenn, where she and her students conduct cutting-edge research on the dietary causes of schizophrenia and mood disorders.

Hypoacetylation, Hypomethylation, And Dephosphorylation Of H2b Histones And Excessive Histone Deacetylase Activity In Du-145 Prostate Cancer Cells, Shundong Cang, Xiaobin Xu, Yuehua Ma, Delong Liu, Jenwei Chiao

NYMC Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Hypoacetylation on histone H3 of human prostate cancer cells has been described. Little is known about the modifications of other histones from prostate cancer cells.

METHODS: Histones were isolated from the prostate cancer cell line DU-145 and the non-malignant prostatic cell line RC170N/h. Post-translational modifications of histone H2B were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)/MS.

RESULTS: The histone H2B of the prostate cancer cell line DU-145 was found to have hypoacetylation, hypomethylation, and dephosphorylation as compared to the non-malignant prostatic cell line RC170N/h. H2B regained acetylation on multiple lysine residues, phosphorylation on Thr19, and methylation on Lys23 and Lys43 …

Hypoacetylation, Hypomethylation, And Dephosphorylation Of H2b Histones And Excessive Histone Deacetylase Activity In Du-145 Prostate Cancer Cells, Shundong Cang, Xiaobin Xu, Yuehua Ma, Delong Liu, J W. Chiao

NYMC Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Hypoacetylation on histone H3 of human prostate cancer cells has been described. Little is known about the modifications of other histones from prostate cancer cells. METHODS: Histones were isolated from the prostate cancer cell line DU-145 and the non-malignant prostatic cell line RC170N/h. Post-translational modifications of histone H2B were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)/MS. RESULTS: The histone H2B of the prostate cancer cell line DU-145 was found to have hypoacetylation, hypomethylation, and dephosphorylation as compared to the non-malignant prostatic cell line RC170N/h. H2B regained acetylation on multiple lysine residues, phosphorylation on Thr19, and methylation on Lys23 and Lys43 …

A New Genotype Of Bovine Leukemia Virus In South America Identified By Ngs-Based Whole Genome Sequencing And Molecular Evolutionary Genetic Analysis., Meripet Polat, Shin-Nosuke Takeshima, Kazuyoshi Hosomichi, Jiyun Kim, Taku Miyasaka, Kazunori Yamada, Mariluz Araínga, Tomoyuki Murakami, Yuki Matsumoto, Veronica De La Barra Diaz, Carlos Javier Panei, Ester Teresa González, Misao Kanemaki, Misao Onuma, Guillermo Giovambattista, Yoko Aida

Journal Articles: Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience

BACKGROUND: Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a member of retroviridae family, together with human T cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and -2) belonging to the genes deltaretrovirus, and infects cattle worldwide. Previous studies have classified the env sequences of BLV provirus from different geographic locations into eight genetic groups. To investigate the genetic variability of BLV in South America, we performed phylogenetic analyses of whole genome and partial env gp51 sequences of BLV strains isolated from Peru, Paraguay and Bolivia, for which no the molecular characteristics of BLV have previously been published, and discovered a novel BLV …

The Human Disease-Associated Ab Amyloid Core Sequence Forms Functional Amyloids In A Fungal Adhesin, Rachele D. Rameau, Desmond N. Jackson, Audrey Beaussary, Yves F. Dufrêne, Peter N. Lipke

Publications and Research

There is increasing evidence that many amyloids in living cells have physiological functions. On the surfaces of fungal cells, amyloid core sequences in adhesins can aggregate into 100- to 1,000-nm-wide patches to form high-avidity adhesion nanodomains on the cell surface. The nanodomains form through interactions that have amyloid-like properties: binding of amyloid dyes, perturbation by antiamyloid agents, and interaction with homologous sequences. To test whether these functional interactions are mediated by typical amyloid interactions, we substituted an amyloid core sequence, LVFFA, from human A protein for the native sequence IVIVA in the 1,419-residue Candida albicans adhesin Als5p. The chimeric protein …

Attention And Recall Of Point-Of-Sale Tobacco Marketing: A Mobile Eye-Tracking Pilot Study, Maansi Bansal-Travers, Sarah E. Adkison, Richard J. O’Connor, Jim Thrasher

Faculty Publications

Introduction: As tobacco advertising restrictions have increased, the retail ‘power wall’ behind the counter is increasingly invaluable for marketing tobacco products.

Objective: The primary objectives of this pilot study were 3-fold: (1) evaluate the attention paid/fixations on the area behind the cash register where tobacco advertising is concentrated and tobacco products are displayed in a real-world setting, (2) evaluate the duration (dwell-time) of these fixations, and (3) evaluate the recall of advertising displayed on the tobacco power wall.

Methods: Data from 13 Smokers (S) and 12 Susceptible or non-daily Smokers (SS) aged 180–30 from a mobile eye-tracking study. Mobile-eye tracking …

Epigenetic Repression Of Pdz-Lim Domain-Containing Protein 2 Promotes Ovarian Cancer Via Nos2-Derived Nitric Oxide Signaling., Linjie Zhao, Chuan Yu, Shengtao Zhou, Wayne Bond Lau, Bonnie Lau, Zhongyue Luo, Qiao Lin, Huiliang Yang, Yu Xuan, Tao Yi, Xia Zhao, Yuquan Wei

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Ovarian cancer constitutes one of the most lethal gynaecological malignancies worldwide and currently no satisfactory therapeutic approaches have been established. Therefore, elucidation of molecular mechanisms to develop targeted therapy of ovarian cancer is crucial. PDLIM2 is critical to promote ubiquitination of nuclear p65 and thus its role in inflammation has been highlighted recently. We demonstrate that PDLIM2 is decreased in both ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma and in various human ovarian cancer cell lines compared with normal ovary tissues and human ovarian surface epithelial cells (HOSE). Further functional analysis revealed that PDLIM2 is epigenetically repressed in ovarian cancer development and inhibition …

Multiplatform Molecular Profiling Identifies Potentially Targetable Biomarkers In Malignant Phyllodes Tumors Of The Breast., Zoran Gatalica, Semir Vranic, Anatole Ghazalpour, Joanne Xiu, Idris Tolgay Ocal, John Mcgill, Ryan P Bender, Erin Discianno, Aaron Schlum, Souzan Sanati, Juan P. Palazzo, Sandeep Reddy, Barbara Pockaj

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Malignant phyllodes tumor is a rare breast malignancy with sarcomatous overgrowth and with limited effective treatment options for recurrent and metastatic cases. Recent clinical trials indicated a potential for anti-angiogenic, anti-EGFR and immunotherapeutic approaches for patients with sarcomas, which led us to investigate these and other targetable pathways in malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast. Thirty-six malignant phyllodes tumors (including 8 metastatic tumors with two cases having matched primary and metastatic tumors) were profiled using gene sequencing, gene copy number analysis, whole genome expression, and protein expression. Whole genome expression analysis demonstrated consistent over-expression of genes involved in angiogenesis including …

A Novel Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay For Serogroup Identification Of Neisseria Meningitidis In Cerebrospinal Fluid, Dokyung Lee, Eun Jin Kim, Paul E. Kilgore, Hideyuki Takahashi, Jun Tomono, Shigehiko Miyamoto, Daisuke Omagari, Dong Wook Kim, Mitsuko Seki

Department of Pharmacy Practice

We have developed a novel Neisseria meningitidis serogroup-specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for six of the most common meningococcal serogroups (A, B, C, W, X, and Y). The assay was evaluated using a set of 31 meningococcal LAMP assay positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from 1574 children with suspected meningitis identified in prospective surveillance between 1998 and 2002 in Vietnam, China, and Korea. Primer specificity was validated using 15 N. meningitidis strains (including serogroups A, B, C, E, W, X, Y, and Z) and 19 non-N. meningitidis species. The N. meningitidis serogroup LAMP detected down to ten copies …

Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis Recurrence After Kidney Transplantation: Using The New Classification., Sami Alasfar, Naima Carter-Monroe, Avi Z Rosenberg, Robert A Montgomery, Nada Alachkar

Pathology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is an uncommon glomerular disorder that may lead to end stage renal disease (ESRD). With new understanding of the disease pathogenesis, the classical classification as MPGN types I, II, III has changed. Data on post-transplant MPGN, in particular with the newly refined classification, is limited. We present our center's experience of MPGN after kidney transplantation using the new classification.

METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 34 patients with ESRD due to MPGN who received 40 kidney transplants between 1994 and 2014. We reviewed the available biopsies' data using the new classification. We assessed post transplantation …

What's Happening: January 11, 2016, Maine Medical Center

What's Happening

No abstract provided.

Unbalanced But Satisfied?, Asha N. Shenoi

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Simplified Paper Format For Detecting Hiv Drug Resistance In Clinical Specimens By Oligonucleotide Ligation, Nuttada Panpradist, Ingrid A. Beck, Michael Chung, James N. Kiarie, Lisa M. Frenkel, Barry R. Lutz

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a chronic infection that can be managed by antiretroviral treatment (ART). However, periods of suboptimal viral suppression during lifelong ART can select for HIV drug resistant (DR) variants. Transmission of drug resistant virus can lessen or abrogate ART efficacy. Therefore, testing of individuals for drug resistance prior to initiation of treatment is recommended to ensure effective ART. Sensitive and inexpensive HIV genotyping methods are needed in low-resource settings where most HIV infections occur. The oligonucleotide ligation assay (OLA) is a sensitive point mutation assay for detection of drug resistance mutations in HIV pol. The current …

Characterization Of Rna Helicase Csha And Its Role In Protecting Mrnas And Small Rnas Of Staphylococcus Aureus Strain Newman, Samin Kim, Anna-Rita Corvaglia, Stefano Léo, Ambrose Cheung, Patrice Francois

Dartmouth Scholarship

The toxin MazF_sa in Staphylococcus aureus is a sequence-specific endoribonuclease that cleaves the majority of the mRNAs in vivo but spares many essential mRNAs (e.g., secY mRNA) and, surprisingly, an mRNA encoding a regulatory protein (i.e., sarA mRNA). We hypothesize that some mRNAs may be protected by RNA-binding protein(s) from degradation by MazF_sa. Using heparin-Sepharose-enriched fractions that hybridized to sarA mRNA on Northwestern blots, we identified among multiple proteins the DEAD box RNA helicase CshA (NWMN_1985 or SA1885) by mass spectroscopy. Purified CshA exhibits typical RNA helicase activities, as exemplified by RNA-dependent ATPase activity and unwinding of …

Reduction Of Ctrp9, A Novel Anti-Platelet Adipokine, Contributes To Abnormal Platelet Activity In Diabetic Animals., Wenqing Wang, Wayne Bond Lau, Yajing Wang, Xin-Liang Ma, Rong Li

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Platelet hyper-reactivity is a crucial cause of accelerated atherosclerosis increasing risk of thrombotic vascular events in diabetic patients. The mechanisms leading to abnormal platelet activity during diabetes are complex and not fully defined. The current study attempted to clarify the role of CTRP9, a novel adiponectin paralog, in enhanced platelet activity and determined whether CTRP9 may inhibit platelet activity. Adult male C57BL/6 J mice were randomized to receive high-fat diet (HFD) or normal diet (ND). 8 weeks after HFD, animals were sacrificed, and both plasma CTRP9 and platelet aggregation were determined. HFD-fed animals increased weight gain significantly, and became hyperglycemic …

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - January 10, 2014, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the January 10, 2014 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents Include:

• Two USA Graduate Students Awarded AHA Grants
• January Med School Café - ‘Cosmetic and Reconstructive Breast Surgery’
• Carla Watlington Recognized for Customer Service
• Alice Johnson Named Assistant Administrator for Ancillary Services

Gene 33/Mig6 Inhibits Hexavalent Chromium-Induced Dna Damage And Cell Transformation In Human Lung Epithelial Cells, Soyoung Park, Cen Li, Hong Zhao, Zbigniew Darzynkiewicz, Dazhong Xu

NYMC Faculty Publications

Hexavalent Chromium [Cr(VI)] compounds are human lung carcinogens and environmental/occupational hazards. The molecular mechanisms of Cr(VI) carcinogenesis appear to be complex and are poorly defined. In this study, we investigated the potential role of Gene 33 (ERRFI1, Mig6), a multifunctional adaptor protein, in Cr(VI)-mediated lung carcinogenesis. We show that the level of Gene 33 protein is suppressed by both acute and chronic Cr(VI) treatments in a dose- and time-dependent fashion in BEAS-2B lung epithelial cells. The inhibition also occurs in A549 lung bronchial carcinoma cells. Cr(VI) suppresses Gene 33 expression mainly through post-transcriptional mechanisms, although the mRNA level of gene …