Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Organization Of The Zone Of Transition Between The Pretectum And The Thalamus, With Emphasis On The Pretectothalamic Lamina, Emmanuel Marquez-Legorreta, Jose De Anchieta C. Horta-Junior, Albert S. Berrebi, Enrique Saldana

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The zone of transition between the pretectum, derived from prosomere 1, and the thalamus, derived from prosomere 2, is structurally complex and its understanding has been hampered by cytoarchitectural and terminological confusion. Herein, using a battery of complementary morphological approaches, including cytoarchitecture, myeloarchitecture and the expression of molecular markers, we pinpoint the features or combination of features that best characterize each nucleus of the pretectothalamic transitional zone of the rat. Our results reveal useful morphological criteria to identify and delineate, with unprecedented precision, several [mostly auditory] nuclei of the posterior group of the thalamus, namely the pretectothalamic lamina (PTL; formerly …

A Common Variant In Mir182 Is Associated With Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma In The Neighborhood Consortium, Yutao Liu, Jessica Cooke Bailey, Inas Helwa, W. Michael Dismuke, Jingwen Cai, Michelle Drewry, Murray H. Brilliant, Donald L. Budenz, William G. Christen, Daniel I. Chasman, John H. Fingert, Douglas Gaasterland, Terry Gaasterland, Mae O. Gordon, Robert P. Igo Jr., Jae H. Kang, Michael A. Kass, Peter Kraft, Richard K. Lee, Paul Lichter, Sayoko E. Moroi, Anthony Realini, Julia E. Richard, Robert Ritch, Joel S. Schuman, William K. Scott, Kuldev Singh, Arthur J. Sit, Yeunjoo E. Song, Douglas Vollrath, Robert Weinreb, Felipe Medeiros, Gadi Wollstein, Donald J. Zack, Kang Zhang, Margaret A. Pericak-Vance, Pedro Gonzalez, W. Daniel Stamer, John Kuchtey, Rachel W. Kuchtey, R. Rand Allingham, Michael A. Hauser, Louis R. Pasquale, Jonathan L. Haines, Janey L. Wiggs

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

PURPOSE. Noncoding microRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. We aimed to identify common variants in miRNA coding genes (MIR) associated with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

METHODS. Using the NEIGHBORHOOD data set (3853 cases/33,480 controls with European ancestry), we first assessed the relation between 85 variants in 76 MIR genes and overall POAG. Subtype-specific analyses were performed in high-tension glaucoma (HTG) and normal-tension glaucoma subsets. Second, we examined the expression of miR-182, which was associated with POAG, in postmortem human ocular tissues (ciliary body, cornea, retina, and trabecular meshwork [TM]), using miRNA sequencing (miRNA-Seq) and droplet digital …

The Association Between Graduated Driver Licensing Laws And Travel Behaviors Among Adolescents: An Analysis Of Us National Household Travel Surveys, Motao Zhu, Peter Cummings, Songzhu Zhao, Thomas Rice

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Young novice drivers have crash rates higher than any other age group. To address this problem, graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws have been implemented in the United States to require an extended learner permit phase, and create night time driving or passenger restrictions for adolescent drivers. GDL allows adolescents to gain experience driving under low-risk conditions with the aim of reducing crashes. The restricted driving might increase riding with parents or on buses, which might be safer, or walking or biking, which might be more dangerous. We examined whether GDL increases non-driver travels, and whether it reduces total travels …

Primary School Teachers’ Opinions And Attitudes Towards Stuttering In Two South African Urban Education Districts, Kristen Abrahams, Michal Harty, Kenneth O. St. Louis, Lehana Thabane, Harsha Kathard

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: As teachers form an important part of the intervention process with children who stutter in primary school, the primary aim was to describe primary school teachers’ attitudes in South Africa. The secondary aim was to compare teachers’ attitudes towards stuttering in South Africa with those from a pooled group of respondents in the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA-S) database from different countries collected in 2009–2014.

Method: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey research design was used. Primary schools in two education districts in Western Cape, South Africa, were sampled. The POSHA-S, a selfadministered questionnaire, was completed by a cluster …

Depression Treatment Decreases Healthcare Expenditures Among Working Age Patients With Comorbid Conditions And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Along With Newly-Diagnosed Depression, Rituparna Bhattacharya, Chan Shen, Amy B. Wachholtz, Nilanjana Dwibedi, Usha Sambamoorthi

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: There are many studies in the literature on the association between depression treatment and health expenditures. However, there is a knowledge gap in examining this relationship taking into account coexisting chronic conditions among patients with diabetes. We aim to analyze the association between depression treatment and healthcare expenditures among adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and newly-diagnosed depression, with consideration of coexisting chronic physical conditions.

Methods: We used multi-state Medicaid data (2000–2008) and adopted a retrospective longitudinal cohort design. Medical conditions were identified using diagnosis codes (ICD-9-CM and CPT systems). Healthcare expenditures were aggregated for each month for …

Noninvasive Fractional Flow Reserve Derived From Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography For Identification Of Ischemic Lesions: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Wen Wu, Dao-Rong Pan, Nicolas Foin, Si Pang, Peng Ye, Niels Holm, Xiao-Min Ren, Jie Luo, Aravinda Nanjundappa, Shao-Liang Chen

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Detection of coronary ischemic lesions by fractional flow reserve (FFR) has been established as the gold standard. In recent years, novel computer based methods have emerged and they can provide simulation of FFR using coronary artery images acquired from coronary computed tomography angiography (FFRCT). This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate diagnostic performance of FFRCT using FFR as the reference standard. Databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medion and Web of Science were searched. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria, including 833 stable patients (1377 vessels or lesions) with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD). The patient-based analysis showed pooled estimates …

Small Bowel Obstruction Due To Suprapubic Catheter Placement, Patrick C. Bonasso, Brandon Lucke-Wold, Uzer Khan

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Suprapubic catheter placement has associated complications such as bowel injury, bladder injury, or bleeding. This case describes the management of an elderly patient who had suprapubic catheter placement complicated by small bowel obstruction. The catheter had continued production of urine. Further patient treatment required abdominal exploration and bowel resection.

A Rare Case Of Sunitinib-Induced Exfoliative Esophagitis, Swapna Gayam Md, Ashwini Anumandla Md

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Sunitinib is a chemotherapeutic agent that has been approved for renal cell carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumors resistant to imatinib. It is usually well tolerated and severe gastrointestinal side effects are rare. There are very few reports of sunitinib causing severe esophagitis, and only one of them was previously reported as exfoliative esophagitis. We describe a case of severe sunitinib-induced exfoliative esophagitis that resulted in overt gastrointestinal bleed.

Gender Differences In Murine Pulmonary Responses Elicited By Cellulose Nanocrystals, Anna A. Shvedova, Elena R. Kisin, Naveena Yanamala, Mariana T. Farcas, Autumn L. Menas, Andrew Williams, Philip M. Fournier, Jeffrey S. Reynolds, Dmitriy W. Gutkin, Alexander Star, Richard S. Reiner, Sabina Halappanavar, Valerian E. Kagan

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Cellulose-based materials have been used for centuries to manufacture different goods derived from forestry and agricultural sources. In the growing field of nanocellulose applications, its uniquely engineered properties are instrumental for inventive products coming to competitive markets. Due to their high aspect ratio and stiffness, it is speculated that cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) may cause similar pulmonary toxicity as carbon nanotubes and asbestos, thus posing a potential negative impact on public health and the environment.

Methods: The present study was undertaken to investigate the pulmonary outcomes induced by repeated exposure to respirable CNC. C57BL/6 female and male mice were exposed …

Scimitar Syndrome And H-Type Tracheoesophageal Fistula In A Newborn Infant, Allison Lastinger, Malek El Yaman, Robert Gustafson, Panitan Yossuck

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Scimitar syndrome is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage of the right lung to the inferior vena cava (IVC) creating a tubular opacity paralleling the right cardiac border on chest radiography which resembles a curved Turkish sword or scimitar. Associated pulmonary and vascular anomalies have been reported in cases of Scimitar syndrome, most commonly hypoplasia of right lung, dextroposition of the heart, hypoplasia of the right pulmonary artery, and aberrant arterial supply from the descending aorta to the affected lobe of the right lung. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case …

Lung Cancer Metastasis Presenting As A Solitary Skull Mass, Ryan C. Turner, Brandon P. Lucke-Wold, Roy Hwang, Bill D. Underwood

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Lung cancer has been well documented to spread to bone and the axial skeleton after metastasis to adjacent organs. Bony metastasis is not, however, the typical presenting manifestation. The differential diagnosis for a tissue mass on the skull should warrant a workup for metastatic disease. Bony metastasis plays an important role in treatment and disease management. We report an exceptionally rare case of stage IV lung adenocarcinoma that presented with a solitary skull metastasis and a significant soft-tissue component. The lesion was treated by excision via craniotomy and subsequent medical management of the adenocarcinoma. This case illustrates a very rare …

Perceptions Of The Role Of West Virginia’S Cooperative Extension Service In Tobacco Control Coalitions, Donald Reed, Dana Lester, Kathy Danberry, Peggy Lambert Fink, Sherry Owens

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Despite the fact that the consequences of tobacco use are well identified and known, it remains the single most preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. In West Virginia alone, the adult prevalence of cigarette smoking is 26.8%. This study researches the perceptions of the Cooperative Extension Service’s involvement and role in county-level coalitions that address tobacco use in West Virginia. The research findings provide practical areas to increase the role of the Extension Service in these vital efforts to save lives, reduce economic hardships on families, and reduce the health-care burden on the state government

In Vivo Assessment Of Coronary Flow And Cardiac Function After Bolus Adenosine Injection In Adenosine Receptor Knockout Mice, Bunyen Teng, Stephen L. Tilley, Catherine Ledent, S. Jamal Mustafa

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Bolus injections of adenosine and the A2A adenosine receptor (AR) selective agonist (regadenoson) are used clinically as a substitute for a stress test in people who cannot exercise. Using isolated tissue preparations, our lab has shown that coronary flow and cardiac effects of adenosine are mostly regulated by the AR subtypes A1, A2A, and A2B. In this study, we used ultrasound imaging to measure the in vivo effects of adenosine on coronary blood flow (left coronary artery) and cardiac function in anesthetized wild-type, A1 knockout (KO), A2AKO, A2BKO, A3KO, A1, and A3 double KO (A1/3 DKO) and A2A and A2B …

Improvement Of Segmental Lordosis In Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Comparison Of Two Techniques, James W. Rice, Cara L. Sedney Md,Ma, Scott D. Daffner, Justin W. Arner, Sanford E. Emery, John C. France

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Study Design Retrospective review.

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the radiographic impact of a transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) versus a cantilever TLIF technique on segmental lordosis, segmental coronal alignment, and disk height.

Methods A retrospective review was done of all patients undergoing TLIF procedures from 2006 to 2011 by three spine surgeons. Traditional TLIF versus cantilever TLIF results were compared, and radiographic outcomes were assessed.

Results One hundred one patients were included in the study. Patients undergoing the cantilever TLIF procedure had a significantly greater change in segmental lordosis and disk height compared with those …

Prenatal And Early Postnatal Exposure To Cigarette Smoke Decreases Bdnf/Trkb Signaling And Increases Abnormal Behaviors Later In Life, Lan Xiao Phd, Vincent L. Kish Ms, Katherine M. Benders Ms, Zhong-Xin Wu Phd

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Cigarette smoke exposure during prenatal and early postnatal periods increases the incidence of a variety of abnormal behaviors later in life. The purpose of this study was to identify the possible critical period of susceptibility to cigarette smoke exposure and evaluate the possibe effects of cigarette smoke during early life on brain-derived neurotrophic factor/neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor B signaling in the brain.

Methods: Three different age of imprinting control region mice were exposed to cigarette smoke or filtered air for 10 consecutive days beginning on either gestational day 7 by maternal exposure, or postnatal days 2 or 21 by …

Examining Road Traffic Mortality Status In China: A Simulation Study, Helai Huang, Qingyi Yin, David C. Schwebel, Li Li, Guoqing Hu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background Data from the Chinese police service suggest substantial reductions in road traffic injuries since 2002, but critics have questioned the accuracy of those data, especially considering conflicting data reported by the health department. Methods To address the gap between police and health department data and to determine which may be more accurate, we conducted a simulation study based on the modified Smeed equation, which delineates a non-linear relation between road traffic mortality and the level of motorization in a country or region. Our goal was to simulate trends in road traffic mortality in China and compare performances in road …

Tetryl Exposure: Forgotten Hazards Of Antique Munitions, Walla A. Alfaraj, Brian Mcmillan, Alan M. Ducatman, Charles L. Werntz Iii

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Older yet still abundant munitions such as tetryl present easily forgotten health hazards and associated needs for worker protection.

Case presentation: Symptoms and findings from 22 workers who were exposed to tetryl are summarized.

Conclusions: This study highlights the health hazards from exposure to tetryl. Occupational health professionals need to maintain vigilance to protect workers from the risks of handling older munitions.

Molecular Biology And Clinical Mitigation Of Cancer Treatment-Induced Neuropathy, Gerald M. Higa, Corbin Sypult

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Disruption of microtubule function is the antitumor mechanism of several classes of drugs used to treat cancer today. However, the significant beneficial effect on tumor outcomes is frequently counterbalanced by neurotoxic complications. Despite an abundance of scientific data, our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying this toxic reaction remains unclear, further hindering attempts to identify and develop effective preventive strategies. The primary goals of this review are to: (1) provide insight regarding the biology of the microtubule, (2) analyze the molecular and biochemical pathways that may be involved in the development of neurotoxicity, and (3) propose a unifying concept linking …

Teenage Pregnancy With Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia And Documented Icd Discharges, Aziez Ahmed, John R. Phillips

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We report the first case of pregnancy in a pediatric patient with catecholiminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT). Pregnant adolescents with CPVT are at high risk for NSVT and malignant VT during pregnancy, despite antiarrhythmic medication. They may receive multiple implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapies. Such patients require close monitoring with special care during the first trimester.

Rainbow Vectors For Broad-Range Bacterial Fluorescence Labeling, Mariette A. Barbier, F. Heath Damron

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Since their discovery, fluorescent proteins have been widely used to study protein function, localization or interaction, promoter activity and regulation, drug discovery or for non-invasive imaging. They have been extensively modified to improve brightness, stability, and oligomerization state. However, only a few studies have focused on understanding the dynamics of fluorescent proteins expression in bacteria. In this work, we developed a set plasmids encoding 12 fluorescent proteins for bacterial labeling to facilitate the study of pathogen-host interactions. These broad-spectrum plasmids can be used with a wide variety of Gram-negative microorganisms including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Shigella …

The Availability And Affordability Of Orphan Drugs For Rare Diseases In China, Shiwei Gong, Yingxiao Wang, Xiaoyun Pan, Liang Zhang, Rui Huang, Xin Chen, Juanjuan Hu, Yi Xu, Si Jin

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Orphan drugs are intended to treat, prevent or diagnose rare diseases. In recent years, China healthcare policy makers and patients have become increasingly concerned about orphan drug issues. However, very few studies have assessed the availability and affordability of orphan drugs for rare diseases in China. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the availability and affordability of orphan drugs in China and to make suggestions to improve patient access to orphan drugs.

Methods: Two components of the availability of orphan drugs were examined. Market availability was assessed by the extent to which orphan drugs …

The Influence Of Inhaled Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes On The Autonomic Nervous System, W. Zheng, W. Mckinney, M. Kashon, R. Salmen, V. Castranova, H. Kan

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Heart rate and cardiovascular function are regulated by the autonomic nervous system. Heart rate variability (HRV) as a marker reflects the activity of autonomic nervous system. The prognostic significance of HRV in cardiovascular disease has been reported in clinical and epidemiological studies. The present study focused on the influence of inhaled multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on autonomic nervous system by HRV analysis.

Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats were pre-implanted with a telemetry device and kept in the individual cages for recovery. At week four after device implantation, rats were exposed to MWCNTs for 5 h at a concentration of 5 …

Effects Of Laser Printer–Emitted Engineered Nanoparticles On Cytotoxicity, Chemokine Expression, Reactive Oxygen Species, Dna Methylation, And Dna Damage: A Comprehensive In Vitro Analysis In Human Small Airway Epithelial Cells, Macrophages, And Lymphoblasts, Sandra V. Pirela, Isabelle R. Miousse, Xiaoyan Lu, Vincent Castranova, Treye Thomas, Yong Qian, Dhimiter Bello, Lester Kobzik, Igor Koturbash, Philip Demokritou

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) incorporated into toner formulations of printing equipment become airborne during consumer use. Although information on the complex physicochemical and toxicological properties of both toner powders and printer-emitted particles (PEPs) continues to grow, most toxicological studies have not used the actual PEPs but rather have primarily used raw toner powders, which are not representative of current exposures experienced at the consumer level during printing.

Objectives: We assessed the biological responses of a panel of human cell lines to PEPs.

Methods: Three physiologically relevant cell lines—small airway epithelial cells (SAECs), macrophages (THP-1 cells), and lymphoblasts (TK6 cells)—were exposed …

Genotoxic Effects Of Synthetic Amorphous Silica Nanoparticles In The Mouse Lymphoma Assay, Esref Demir, Vincent Castranova

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Synthetic amorphous silica nanoparticles (SAS NPs) have been used in various industries, such as plas-tics, glass, paints, electronics, synthetic rubber, in pharmaceutical drug tablets, and a as food additive in many processed foods. There are few studies in the literature on NPs using gene mutation approaches in mammalian cells, which represents an important gap for genotoxic risk estimations. To fill this gap, themouse lymphoma L5178Y/Tk+/−assay (MLA) was used to evaluate the mutagenic effect for five different concentrations (from 0.01 to 150 g/mL) of two different sizes of SAS NPs (7.172 and 7.652 nm) and a fine collodial form of silicon …

Shp2 Acts Both Upstream And Downstream Of Multiple Receptor Tyrosine Kinases To Promote Basal-Like And Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Fatimah Matalkah, Elisha Martin, Hua Zhao, Yehenew M. Agazie

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Introduction: Dysregulated receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling is a common occurrence in basal-like and triple-negative breast cancer (BTBC). As a result, RTK-targeting therapies have been initiated but proved difficult, mainly owing to the multiplicity of dysregulated RTKs. Hence, targeting master regulators of RTK signaling might alleviate this obstacle. Before that, however, defining the mechanism of such molecules is required. In this report, we show that the Src homology phosphotyrosyl phosphatase 2 (SHP2) is a master regulator of RTK expression and signaling in BTBC.

Methods: Xenograft tumor growth studies were used to determine the effect of SHP2 inhibition on tumorigenesis and/or …

Biomechanical Signals Guiding Stem Cell Cartilage Engineering: From Molecular Adaption To Tissue Functionality, Y. Zhang, S. Chen, M Pei

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

In vivo cartilage is in a state of constant mechanical stimulation. It is therefore reasonable to deduce that mechanical forces play an important role in cartilage formation. Mechanical forces, such as compression, tension, and shear force, have been widely applied for cartilage engineering; however, relatively few review papers have summarized the influence of biomechanical signals on stem cell-based neo-cartilage formation and cartilage engineering in both molecular adaption and tissue functionality. In this review, we will discuss recent progress related to the influences of substrate elasticity on stem cell chondrogenic differentiation and elucidate the potential underlying mechanisms. Aside from active sensing …

Rapid Acting Insulin Use And Persistence Among Elderly Type 2 Diabetes Patients Adding Rai To Oral Antidiabetes Drug Regimens, Usha Sambamoorthi, Arijita Deb, Steve Zhou, Rahul Garg, Tao Fan, Anders Boss

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We examined the real-world utilization and persistence of rapid acting insulin (RAI) in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes who added RAI to their drug (OAD) regimen. Insulin-na¨ıve patients aged ≥65 years, with ≥1 OAD prescription during the baseline period, who were continuously enrolled in the US Humana Medicare Advantage insurance plan for 18 months and initiated RAI were included. Among patients with ≥2 RAI prescriptions (RAIp), persistence during the 12-month follow-up was assessed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses identified factors affecting RAI use and persistence. Of 3734 patients adding RAI to their OAD regimen, 2334 (62.5%) had a RAIp during …

The Association Between Sedentary Behaviors During Weekdays And Weekend With Change In Body Composition In Young Adults, Clemens Drenowatz, Madison M. Demello, Robin P. Shook, Gregory A. Hand, Stephanie Burgess, Steven N. Blair

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: High sedentary time has been considered an important chronic disease risk factor but there is only limited information on the association of specific sedentary behaviors on weekdays and weekend-days with body composition. The present study examines the prospective association of total sedentary time and specific sedentary behaviors during weekdays and the weekend with body composition in young adults. Methods: A total of 332 adults (50% male; 27.7 ±3.7 years) were followed over a period of 1 year. Time spent sedentary, excluding sleep (SED), and in physical activity (PA) during weekdays and weekend-days was objectively assessed every 3 months with …

Who Actually Receives Cell Phone Use While Driving Citations And How Much Are These Laws Enforced Among States? A Descriptive, Cross-Sectional Study, Toni M. Rudisill, Motao Zhu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objectives: While numerous cell phone use while driving laws have been passed among states, little information exists regarding who gets cited for these traffic infractions and how much these laws are enforced at the state-level within the USA.

Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive study.

Setting: 14 states and the District of Columbia.

Participants: Those receiving cell phone use while driving citations within included states from 2007 to 2013.

Primary outcome: Demographic characteristics of cited drivers were assessed. Rates of infractions per 100 000 licensed in-state drivers per year for various cell phone use while driving violations were calculated.

Results: Drivers were cited …

Using Multidisciplinary Focus Groups To Inform The Development Of Mi Smart: A Nurse-Led Technology Intervention For Multiple Chronic Conditions, Jennifer A. Mallow, Laurie A. Theeke, Elliott Theeke, Brian K. Mallow

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Used as integrated tools, technology may improve the ability of healthcare providers to improve access and outcomes of care. Little is known about healthcare teams’ preferences in using such technology. This paper reports the findings from focus groups aimed at evaluating a newly developed primary care technology platform. Focus groups were completed in academic, outpatient, and community settings. Focus groups were attended by 37 individuals. The participants included professionals from multiple disciplines. Both prescribing (��=8) and nonprescribing healthcare team members (�� = 21) completed the focus groups and survey. The majority were practicing for more than 20 years (44.8%) in …