Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Maternal Obesity Reduces Placental Autophagy Marker Expression In Uncomplicated Pregnancies, Matthew Cohen, Emily Guo, Aidan Pucchio, Barbra De Vrijer, Trevor G Shepherd, Genevieve Eastabrook

Obstetrics & Gynaecology Publications

AIM: Obesity has been associated with changes in autophagy and its increasing prevalence among pregnant women is implicated in higher rates of placental-mediated complications of pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. Autophagy is involved in normal placentation, thus changes in autophagy may lead to impaired placental function and development. The aim of this study was to investigate the connection between obesity and autophagy in the placenta in otherwise uncomplicated pregnancies.

METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis were done on placental and omental samples from obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m

RESULTS: As pre-pregnancy BMI increased, there was …

The Impact Of Improved Access To After-Hours Primary Care On Emergency Department And Primary Care Utilization: A Systematic Review., Michael Hong, Amardeep Thind, Gregory S Zaric, Sisira Sarma

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

Access to after-hours primary care is problematic in many developed countries, leading patients to instead visit the emergency department for non-urgent conditions. However, emergency department utilization for conditions treatable in primary care settings may contribute to emergency department overcrowding and increased health system costs. This systematic review examines the impact of various initiatives by developed countries to improve access to after-hours primary care on emergency department and primary care utilization. We performed a systematic review on the impact of improved access to after-hours primary and searched CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Scopus. We identified 20 studies that examined the impact of …

Glutamate And Dysconnection In The Salience Network: Neurochemical, Effective Connectivity, And Computational Evidence In Schizophrenia, Roberto Limongi, Peter Jeon, Michael Mackinley, Tushar Das, Kara Dempster, Jean Théberge, Robert Bartha, Dickson Wong, Lena Palaniyappan

Medical Biophysics Publications

Background: Functional dysconnection in schizophrenia is underwritten by a pathophysiology of the glutamate neurotransmission that affects the excitation-inhibition balance in key nodes of the salience network. Physiologically, this manifests as aberrant effective connectivity in intrinsic connections involving inhibitory interneurons. In computational terms, this produces a pathology of evidence accumulation and ensuing inference in the brain. Finally, the pathophysiology and aberrant inference would partially account for the psychopathology of schizophrenia as measured in terms of symptoms and signs. We refer to this formulation as the 3-level hypothesis. Methods: We tested the hypothesis in core nodes of the salience network (the dorsal …

Contemporary Strategies To Prevent Infection In Hip And Knee Arthroplasty, Lachlan M. Batty, Brent Lanting

Bone and Joint Institute

© 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Purpose of Review: Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains a serious concern in lower limb arthroplasty. Despite the significant consequences of PJI, the assessment of the safety and efficacy of preventative measures is challenging due to a low event rate. Notwithstanding, enormous efforts have been made in this arena, and prevention strategies continue to evolve. This review provides an update on contemporary literature (published within the last 5 years) pertaining to infection prevention in primary hip and knee arthroplasty. Recent Findings: Patient optimization has been highlighted as a critical preoperative factor …

A Large-Scale Fifteen-Year Minimum Survivorship Of A Cementless Triple Tapered Femoral Stem, Evangelos Tyrpenou, Amir Khoshbin, Shoaib Mohammad, Emil H. Schemitsch, James P. Waddell, Amit Atrey

Bone and Joint Institute

© 2020 Elsevier Inc. Background: This study reports the long-term outcomes of a metaphyseal fit-and-fill cementless femoral component in total hip arthroplasty (THA) with a follow-up of 15-19 years. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 376 consecutive THAs (345 patients), using a triple tapered stem performed between 2000 and 2003 with a view to assessing survivorship and radiological and functional outcomes. Images were assessed for initial alignment, terminal osteolysis, or subsidence, while clinical outcomes were assessed using the St Michael's Hip Score. Results: Forty-five (11.9%) hips were lost to follow-up, 20 (5.31%) had died before our 15-year cutoff follow-up, …

Clinical Outcomes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: Panther Symposium Acl Injury Clinical Outcomes Consensus Group, Eleonor Svantesson, Eric Hamrin Senorski, Kate E. Webster, Jón Karlsson, Theresa Diermeier, Benjamin B. Rothrauff, Sean J. Meredith, Thomas Rauer, James J. Irrgang, Kurt P. Spindler, C. Benjamin Ma, Volker Musahl, Freddie H. Fu, Olufemi R. Ayeni, Francesco Della Villa, Stefano Della Villa, Scott Dye, Mario Ferretti, Alan Getgood, Timo Järvelä, Christopher C. Kaeding, Ryosuke Kuroda, Bryson Lesniak, Robert G. Marx, Gregory B. Maletis, Leo Pinczewski, Anil Ranawat, Bruce Reider, Romain Seil, Carola Van Eck, Brian R. Wolf, Patrick Yung, Stefano Zaffagnini

Bone and Joint Institute

© 2020, The Author(s). Purpose: A stringent outcome assessment is a key aspect for establishing evidence-based clinical guidelines for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury treatment. The aim of this consensus statement was to establish what data should be reported when conducting an ACL outcome study, what specific outcome measurements should be used and at what follow-up time those outcomes should be assessed. Methods: To establish a standardized approach to assessment of clinical outcome after ACL treatment, a consensus meeting including a multidisciplinary group of ACL experts was held at the ACL Consensus Meeting Panther Symposium, Pittsburgh, PA; USA, in June …

Follow-Up Study Evaluating The Long Term Outcome Of Chondromimetic In The Treatment Of Osteochondral Defects In The Knee, Agnes Berta, Matthew S. Shive, Andrew K. Lynn, Alan Getgood, Saara Totterman, Grahame Busby, Jerome Hollenstein, Gábor Vásárhelyi, Imre Kéki, László Hangody

Bone and Joint Institute

© 2020 by the authors. Scaffolds are thought to be a key element needed for successful cartilage repair treatments, and this prospective extension study aimed to evaluate long-term structural and clinical outcomes following osteochondral defect treatment with a cell-free biphasic scaffold. Structural outcomes were assessed using quantitative 3-D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and morphological segmentation to determine the percentage of defect filling and repair cartilage T2 relaxation times, and clinical outcomes were determined with the modified Cincinnati Rating System, and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). Seventeen subjects with osteochondral defects in the knee were treated with ChondroMimetic …

Pupil Size Is Modulated By The Size Of Equal-Luminance Gratings, Jie Gao, Athena Ko, Yoshiko Yabe, Melvyn A. Goodale, Juan Chen

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© 2020 The Authors. Pupil size changes with light. For this reason, researchers studying the effect of attention, contextual processing, and arousal on the pupillary response have matched the mean luminance of their stimuli across conditions to eliminate the contribution of differences in light levels. Here, we argue that the match of mean luminance is not enough. In Experiment 1, we presented a circular sinewave grating on a gray background for 2 seconds. The area of the grating could be 3°, 6°, or 9°. The mean luminance of each grating was equal to the luminance of the gray background, such …

Sex-Specific Modulation Of Blood Pressure And The Renin-Angiotensin System By Ace (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme) 2, Hong Ji, Aline M. De Souza, Bilkish Bajaj, Wei Zheng, Xie Wu, Robert C. Speth, Kathryn Sandberg

HPD Articles

We showed ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) 2 is higher in the kidney of male compared with female mice. To further investigate this sex difference, we examined the role of ACE2 in Ang-[1-8] (angiotensin [1-8])-induced hypertension and regulation of the renin-angiotensin system in the kidney of WT (wild type) and Ace2 KO (knockout) mice. Mean arterial pressure rose faster in WT male than WT female mice after Ang-[1-8] infusion. This sex difference was attenuated in ACE2 KO mice. Ang-[1-8] infusion reduced glomerular AT1R (angiotensin type 1 receptor) binding in WT female mice by 30%, and deletion of abolished this effect. In contrast, …

Sexual Dysfunction After Rectal Cancer Treatment, Sarah M. Popek

Clinical and Translational Science Center Scholarly Output

Introduction: Treatment for rectal cancer results in sexual dysfunction. Sexual function is a component of the HR-QOL (health related quality of life) measures. The incidence of sexual dysfunction following treatment for rectal cancer and its impact on the HR-QOL is not well delineated, particularly on women.

Objectives: To prospectively assess the degree of sexual dysfunction that occurs after treatment for Stage I-III rectal cancer and the corresponding short term (<3 months) and long term (<2 years) effect on the Quality of Life measure for oncology (QOL-30).

Methods: Validated questionnaires will be administered to assess sexual function and quality of life. The International Index of Erectile Dysfunction will be administered to male patients and …

Multiomic Immune Clockworks Of Pregnancy, Laura S. Peterson, Ina A. Stelzer, Amy S. Tsai, Mohammad S. Ghaemi, Xiaoyuan Han, Kazuo Ando, Virginia D. Winn, Nadine R. Martinez, Kevin Contrepois, Mira N. Moufarrej, Stephen Quake, David A. Relman, Michael P. Snyder, Gary M. Shaw, David K. Stevenson, Ronald J. Wong, Petra Arck, Martin S. Angst, Nima Aghaeepour, Brice Gaudilliere

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Preterm birth is the leading cause of mortality in children under the age of five worldwide. Despite major efforts, we still lack the ability to accurately predict and effectively prevent preterm birth. While multiple factors contribute to preterm labor, dysregulations of immunological adaptations required for the maintenance of a healthy pregnancy is at its pathophysiological core. Consequently, a precise understanding of these chronologically paced immune adaptations and of the biological pacemakers that synchronize the pregnancy “immune clock” is a critical first step towards identifying deviations that are hallmarks of peterm birth. Here, we will review key elements of the fetal, …

Young Adults Can Learn To Predict Unexpected Posterior Perturbations Using An Auditory Cue, Huaqing Liang, Tippawan Kaewmanee, Alexander S. Aruin

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

To reduce the effect of an expected postural perturbation, central nervous system uses anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs), which include the activation and inhibition of the postural muscles and a slight shift of the center-of-pressure (COP) position. The generation of APAs majorly relies on the availability of visual information, and is learned through past experience. Hence, such protective mechanism to maintain balance is not implemented when perturbation comes from one’s back unexpectedly. Our previous work showed that young adults could rely on an auditory cue only to generate APAs for a front perturbation similar to that when vision was available. So …

Older Adults Retain The Ability To Predict External Perturbations Using Auditory Cues Only, Huaqing Liang, Tippawan Kaewmanee, Alexander S. Aruin

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

To maintain balance and prevent destabilization, humans utilize anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) prior to the postural perturbations based on predictions and past experience. APAs involve the activation and inhibition of the trunk and leg muscles and a shift of the center-of-pressure (COP) position. The generation of APAs majorly relies on the availability and accuracy of visual information. However, our previous work showed that young adults could rely on an auditory cue only to generate APAs for an external perturbation similar to that when the visual information was available. Older adults generally have diminished APAs and consequently diminished postural control when …

Resilience In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Capacity To Overcome Disasters And Hardships, 2020 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca Vogt, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Brad Lubben, L.J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Steve Schulz, Jason L. Weigle

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

The definition of resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Synonyms include toughness, perseverance and grit. Last spring’s severe weather events and this year’s ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are likely testing the resilience of rural Nebraskans. Given that, how do rural Nebraskans rate their communities on dimensions that measure their resiliency? How confident are they that the federal government or local emergency management authorities can contain infectious disease outbreaks? How do they rate their ability to help their community handle adversities? How prepared are rural Nebraskans to deal with financial emergencies? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these …

Health Impacts Of Global Climate Change With A Focus On Women’S Health, Mikhaila Samz

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Global climate change has been occurring at an unprecedented rate and is damaging to human health. With women having specific health care needs, this literature review examines the relationship between women’s health (including maternal health) and global climate change through subtopics including global temperature and heat waves, carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution, natural disasters and extreme weather events, malnutrition and food insecurity, water supply and resource scarcity, and changing infectious disease patterns.

Methods: A literature search was conducted across several online databases, predominantly PubMed, for articles related to global climate change and its role in women’s health. The …

Colloids Compared To Crystalloids In Emergent Stabilization Of Critically Ill Adults, Jerry Johnson

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: With the advent of newer and 􏰖safer􏰗 fluids there have been numerous trials and studies conducted to test the safety and validity of colloids. Are colloids more effective then crystalloid for emergent resuscitation? The purpose of this systematic literature review is to assess the claims on treatment success and explore safety to gain clarity on which fluid is the best treatment for the patient.

Methods: A systematic database search was conducted from 2006 to the present. The search utilized such sources as PubMed, UpToDate and ScienceDirect. This search included more than 70 journal articles, where 24 articles were selected …

Does Urbanization Or Industrialization Have More Impact On The Increasing Prevalence Of Diabetes In Developing Countries?, Simon Mazza

Theses and Graduate Projects

Regardless of how developed a nation is, diabetes mellitus II and other noncommunicable diseases are becoming an increasing problem throughout the globe. However, as more developing countries are introduced to the advancements of industrialized technologies, as well as the shift from rural living to an urban environment they are experiencing a more marked increase in diabetes than anywhere else in the world. In this article we break down the categories of industrialization and urbanization into several key underlying factors that contribute to their proliferation of diabetes in the developing world.

For industrialization we assess the influence of food processing, agriculture …

Vitamin C As An Adjunct Therapy In Sepsis Management, Nicholas Becker

Theses and Graduate Projects

In the United States, sepsis afflicts nearly one in three ICU patients, is associated with monumental healthcare costs, and is among the leading causes of death. The burden of sepsis is felt globally, and efforts are underway to discover an effective adjunctive therapy. Vitamin C is a novel treatment showing promising early evidence. Additionally, vitamin C's use in combination therapy with hydrocortisone and thiamine has been postulated. These components are thought to work congruently to attenuate the pathophysiologic process of sepsis.

To answer whether vitamin C improves septic patient outcomes, a variety of methods were used to obtain information. Primarily, …

The Role Of Temperature Management In Neurologic Outcomes Of Adult Cardiac Arrests:, Trenton Christensen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Targeted Temperature control for post cardiac arrest patients has a long history dating back to the ancient Greeks. In the last twenty years there has been a push to define and implement a protocol for targeted temperature control for post cardiac arrest patients, specifically those with ventricular fibrillation arrests, to improve neurological outcomes and post-arrest quality of life. In this review, literature from the last twenty years and beyond was examined to attempt to determine whether populations treated with therapeutic hypothermia experienced improved neurological results.

Methods: Literature searches were preformed using the PubMed database as well as Google Scholar. …

Factors That Impact Glycemic Control In Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes, Kelsey Mcfarling

Theses and Graduate Projects

The incidence of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is increasing worldwide and is diagnosed disproportionately in adolescent populations. Additionally, studies show that adolescents with T1D experience worse glycemic control during this developmental period. Maintaining glycemic control in patients with T1D decreases the risk of developing future diabetic-related complications. Factors such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and medical comorbidities influence disparities in maintaining glycemic control in adolescents. The recognition of these factors on the management of T1D through an integrative team approach leads to increased glycemic control and decreased diabetic- related complications. This paper explores the effects of …

Idiopathic Gastroparesis: Lifestyle Modifications Versus Pharmacotherapy, Rebecca K. Schieffer

Theses and Graduate Projects

Idiopathic gastroparesis is a chronic symptomatic motility disorder of the stomach of unknown cause characterized by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction, with the majority of gastroparesis cases being classified as idiopathic. Idiopathic gastroparesis continues to be a challenging diagnosis to manage and difficulty remains in treating associated symptoms that result in decreased quality of life. Current non-invasive recommendations for the treatment of idiopathic gastroparesis are lifestyle modifications, including dietary adjustments to follow a gastroparesis diet, and pharmacotherapy prescribed for symptomatic relief. Metoclopramide is currently the only medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in …

Value Of Achieving A Watertight Dural Closure, And The Use Of Dural Sealants After Supratentorial Cranial Surgery, Ummey Hani, Fatima Aziz, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Section of Neurosurgery

Dural closure at the end of cranial surgery is considered an extremely important step to maintain anatomical continuity, separate the intradural space with the extradural one, and to prevent possible complications related to cerebrospinal fluid leak. Wherein its usefulness in posterior fossa craniotomy is established, many surgeons do not perform it routinely in supratentorial craniotomies, citing unnecessary delay and lack of evidence supporting it. Herein, we have reviewed the data to find evidence in support of watertight suture based dural closures compared to other dural closure techniques, in supratentorial craniotomies.

The Great Debate At 'Immunotherapy Bridge', Naples, December 5, 2019., Paolo A Ascierto, Carlo Bifulco, Jerome Galon, Claus Garbe, Samir N Khleif, Jennifer Mcquade, Kunle Odunsi, Hideho Okada, Chrystal M Paulos, Sergio A Quezada, Hussein A Tawbi, John Timmerman, Giorgio Trinchieri, Lisa H Butterfield, Igor Puzanov

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

As part of the 2019 Immunotherapy Bridge congress (December 4-5, Naples, Italy), the Great Debate session featured counterpoint views from leading experts on six topical issues in immunotherapy today. These were the use of chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy in solid tumors, whether the Immunoscore should be more widely used in clinical practice, whether antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity is important in the mode of action of anticytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 antibodies, whether the brain is immunologically unique or just another organ, the role of microbiome versus nutrition in affecting responses to immunotherapy, and whether chemotherapy is immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive. Discussion …

Changing Prevalence Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus During Pregnancy Over More Than A Decade, Aisha Sheikh, Lumaan Sheikh

Section of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism

No abstract provided.

Application Of Self-Efficacy Training In Group Aural Rehabilitation: An Interprofessional Collaborative Model, Stephen D. Roberts, Nancy A. Delich

JADARA

Few studies have explored self-efficacy training with persons with hearing loss (PHLs), yet alone with their communication partners (CPs). The purpose of this mixed-method study was to examine the impact of self-efficacy training as a framework for an Interprofessional Psychosocial Group Aural Rehabilitation (IPGAR) workshop with PHLs and their CPs. Four PHLs and their four CPs consented to participate in the IPGAR workshop that employed interventions including short lectures, psychosocial exercises, communication strategies training, speech perception training, adaptive/stress reduction exercises, and group discussions relevant to mutually established shared goals for each couple. The participants reported improved communication abilities in the …

The Direct Primary Care Model: Practice Characteristics And Patient Experience, James David Miller

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The Direct Primary Care practice model has been growing in both number of practices and public awareness. However, there has been little academic research about this emerging practice model. This research is aimed to describe the current state of the DPC practice model by examining the services provided, geographic distribution of practices, statistical distribution of membership fees, demographic characteristics of physicians using the model and to determine whether regional pricing variation existed. In addition, differences were analyzed between the patient satisfaction levels in DPC and fee-for-service practices. A dataset was created by visiting the website of all known, non-corporate, DPC …

Microrna-16, Programmed Cell Death Protein-4 (Pdcd-4) And Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Naseem Zehra, Arfa Azhar, Rehana Rehman

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Support Clubs For Children And Youth In Haiti Living With Hiv: A Case Study, Susan Settergren, Robert Philippe, Joanne St. Louis, Nathaniel Segaren, Sylvie Boisson, Tessa Lewis, Olbeg Désinor, Kesner François

HIV and AIDS

In Haiti, where an estimated 3,000 children and youth are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), Caris Foundation, with funding from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), provides hospital-linked psychosocial support groups, known as Kids Clubs, for young people ages nine and older. The clubs are intended to help ensure that HIV-positive children and adolescents stay in contact with health services, and serve as a conduit for delivery of other services, including health messages and health products. In 2019, Project SOAR conducted a study to describe the Kids Club …

Design And Evaluation Of Peptide Lipid-Associated Nucleic Acids (Planas) For Sirna And Crispr/Cas9 Delivery And Protein Silencing, Ryley Hall

Pharmaceutical Sciences (MS) Theses

Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women in the United States. The American Cancer Society has estimated that in 2020 about 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women. Cancer research has taken a turn in the last several decades to focus on new approaches to combat the disease. This project focuses on two approaches, siRNA and CRISPR/Cas9 that can have potential applications in cancer research.

The first approach is a specific type of RNA interference (RNAi) that has been pursued due to its therapeutic potential in cancer research. In short, siRNA delivery is a method …

Epigenetic Targeting Of Mcl-1 Is Synthetically Lethal With Bcl-Xl/Bcl-2 Inhibition In Model Systems Of Glioblastoma, Enyuan Shang, Trang T. T. Nguyen, Chang Shu, Mike-Andrew Westhoff, Georg Karpel-Massler, Markus D. Siegelin

Publications and Research

Apoptotic resistance remains a hallmark of glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary brain tumor in adults, and a better understanding of this process may result in more efficient treatments. By utilizing chromatin immunoprecipitation with next-generation sequencing (CHIP-seq), we discovered that GBMs harbor a super enhancer around the Mcl-1 locus, a gene that has been known to confer cell death resistance in GBM.We utilized THZ1, a known super-enhancer blocker, and BH3-mimetics, including ABT263, WEHI-539, and ABT199. Combined treatment with BH3-mimetics and THZ1 led to synergistic growth reduction in GBM models. Reduction in cellular viability was accompanied by significant cell death induction …