Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Can A Primrose Compoud Fight Uveal Melanoma?

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Uveal melanoma is the most common eye cancer in adults. It metastasizes to the liver in 50 percent of patients, and there are no effective therapies to treat those metastases. Yet.

Jeffrey L. Benovic, PhD, Thomas Eakins Endowed Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, is globally recognized for research uncovering the mechanisms of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling and how GPCR dysregulation contributes to disease. GPCRs regulate a variety of biological functions—from neurotransmission and sensory perception to the movement of cells in response to chemical stimuli. They have also been implicated in diseases ranging from cancer to neurological disorders.

How To Re-Stress Pancreatic Cancer

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

What is the molecular basis for pancreatic cancer's aggressive nature and resistance to treatment? Elda Grabocka, PhD, assistant professor of cancer biology and surgery, is working to find out. Last year, she received both a Margaret Q. Landenberger Research Foundation grant—which supports promising early-stage medical researchers—and her first NIH/NCI R01 grant. She has also received a V Foundation Scholar Research Award and a W.W. Smith Charitable Foundation grant. Her research investigates pancreatic cancer’s ability to hijack the mechanisms by which normal cells adapt stressors. Ratcheting up that mechanism allows tumors to grow under adverse conditions and it enhances their resistance …

Real World Data Review Sheds Light On Medical Treatment

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

In the largest population-based retrospective study on combination therapies for high-risk prostate cancer, a team led by Grace Lu-Yao, PhD, MPH, professor and vice chair of medical oncology, found that more patients live longer if treated with prostate removal (prostatectomy) plus radiation therapy. The study was the first to show that removing the whole prostate and following up with radiation therapy is associated with greater overall survival than simply treating the prostate with radiation plus hormone-blocking therapy.

Advancing Cellular And Immune-Based Cancer Therapies

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

The NCI-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) is the heart of Jefferson’s broad-based cancer research program. SKCC investigators are currently pursuing hundreds of basic science, translational and clinical studies on cancer cell biology and signaling, molecular biology and genetics, and specific diseases ranging from brain cancer to uveal melanoma. Among the most exciting efforts are partnerships between SKCC basic scientists and clinician-researchers to both advance new immune-based therapies and continuously improve current approaches.

Fusing Discovery, Imagination And Application, Mark L. Tykocinski, Md

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Thomas Jefferson University is a unique institution, marked by dualities: simultaneously new and deeply experienced; steeped in tradition and heedless of traditional boundaries; professionally focused and committed to knowledge-creation.

We conduct research both for itself and as an essential part of the educational process. In doing so, we fuse discovery, imagination and application—weaving together the pursuit of basic knowledge with its innovative translation and creative application. We strive to redefine the term “humanly possible” in disciplines ranging from immunology and vaccine development to design and creation of functional fabrics.

Thomas Jefferson University Research - Fusing Discovery, Imagination And Application

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

These 60 pages offer just a glimpse of the range and depth of studies undertaken across the Thomas Jefferson University research enterprise.

To learn more about Research at Jefferson, go to Jefferson.edu/Research2020.

Online Pilot Grocery Intervention Among Rural And Urban Residents Aimed To Improve Purchasing Habits, Alison A. Gustafson, Rachel Gillespie, Emily M. Dewitt, Brittany Cox, Brynnan Dunaway, Lindsey Haynes-Maslow, Elizabeth Anderson Steeves, Angela C. B. Trude

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Online grocery shopping has the potential to improve access to food, particularly among low-income households located in urban food deserts and rural communities. The primary aim of this pilot intervention was to test whether a three-armed online grocery trial improved fruit and vegetable (F&V) purchases. Rural and urban adults across seven counties in Kentucky, Maryland, and North Carolina were recruited to participate in an 8-week intervention in fall 2021. A total of 184 adults were enrolled into the following groups: (1) brick-and-mortar “BM” (control participants only received reminders to submit weekly grocery shopping receipts); (2) online-only with no support “O” …

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - January 13, 2022, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the January 13, 2022 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents include:

• Alumni couples: Keep sending us your stories
• Faculty, staff and alumni named to Mobile Bay's 40 Under 40
• Meet a Med Student: Renee Ivy
• USA scientists find novel mechanism underlying castration-resistant prostate cancer

Coronavirus Update 1-13-2022, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

As you know, we have been extremely successful keeping the community safe and the number of COVID cases low. This has been a result of vaccinations, testing and your diligence with masking and other safety protocols. Because the omicron variant is so highly transmissible, it presents some different challenges than we have previously faced, but nothing that we can’t handle.

Trend, Predictors, And Outcomes Of Combined Mitral Valve Replacement And Coronary Artery Bypass Graft In Patients With Concomitant Mitral Valve And Coronary Artery Disease: A National Inpatient Sample Database Analysis, Waqas Ullah, Sajjad Gul, Sameer Saleem, Mubbasher Ameer Syed, Muhammad Zia Khan, Salman Zahid, Abdul Mannan Khan Minhas, Salim S. Virani, Mamas A. Mamas, David L. Fischman

Office of the Provost

Aims: Combined mitral valve replacement (MVR) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures have been the norm for patients with concomitant mitral valve disease (MVD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) with no large-scale data on their safety and efficacy.
Methods and results: The National Inpatient Sample database (2002-18) was queried to identify patients undergoing MVR and CABG. The major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and its components were compared using a propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis to calculate adjusted odds ratios (OR). A total of 6 145 694 patients (CABG only 3 971 045, MVR only 1 933 459, MVR + CABG …

Coordinated Speech Therapy, Physiotherapy, And Pharmaceutical Care Telehealth For People With Parkinson Disease In Rural Communities: An Exploratory, 8-Week Cohort Study For Feasibility, Safety, And Signal Of Efficacy, Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker, Merrill R. Landers, Annalisa Piccorelli, Erin Bush, Reshmi Singh

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Publications

Introduction: The potential for coordinated, multidisciplinary telehealth to help connect people with Parkinson disease (PD) in rural areas to PD specialists is crucial in optimizing care. Therefore, this study aimed to test the feasibility, safety, and signal of efficacy of a coordinated telehealth program, consisting of speech therapy, physiotherapy, and pharmaceutical care, for people with PD living in some rural US communities.

Methods: Fifteen individuals with PD living in rural Wyoming and Nevada, USA, participated in this single-cohort, 8-week pilot study. Participants were assessed before and after 8 weeks of coordinated, one-on-one telehealth using the following outcomes: (1) …

Covid-19 Vaccine Brand Hesitancy And Other Challenges To Vaccination In The Philippines, Arianna Maever L. Amit, Veincent Christian F. Pepito, Lourdes S. Tanchanco, Manuel Dayrit

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Effective and safe COVID-19 vaccines have been developed at a rapid and unprecedented pace to control the spread of the virus, and prevent hospitalisations and deaths. However, COVID-19 vaccine uptake is challenged by vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccination sentiments, a global shortage of vaccine supply, and inequitable vaccine distribution especially among low- and middle-income countries including the Philippines. In this paper, we explored vaccination narratives and challenges experienced and observed by Filipinos during the early vaccination period. We interviewed 35 individuals from a subsample of 1,599 survey respondents 18 years and older in the Philippines. The interviews were conducted in Filipino, …

Anti-Cd40 Antibody Fused To Cd40 Ligand Is A Superagonist Platform For Adjuvant Intrinsic Dc-Targeting Vaccines., Valentina Ceglia, Sandra Zurawski, Monica Montes, Mitchell Kroll, Aurélie Bouteau, Zhiqing Wang, Jerome Ellis, Botond Z Igyártó, Yves Lévy, Gerard Zurawski

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

CD40 is a potent activating receptor expressed on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) of the immune system. CD40 regulates many aspects of B and T cell immunity via interaction with CD40L expressed on activated T cells. Targeting antigens to CD40 via agonistic anti-CD40 antibody fusions promotes both humoral and cellular immunity, but current anti-CD40 antibody-antigen vaccine prototypes require co-adjuvant administration for significant in vivo efficacy. This may be a consequence of dulling of anti-CD40 agonist activity via antigen fusion. We previously demonstrated that direct fusion of CD40L to anti-CD40 antibodies confers superagonist properties. Here we show that anti-CD40-CD40L-antigen fusion constructs retain strong …

Choice Bundling Increases Valuation Of Delayed Losses More Than Gains In Cigarette Smokers, Jeffrey S. Stein, Jeremiah M. Brown, Allison N. Tegge, Roberta Freitas-Lemos, Mikhail N. Koffarnus, Warren K. Bickel, Gregory J. Madden

Family and Community Medicine Faculty Publications

Choice bundling, in which a single choice produces a series of repeating consequences over time, increases valuation of delayed monetary and non-monetary gains. Interventions derived from this manipulation may be an effective method for mitigating the elevated delay discounting rates observed in cigarette smokers. No prior work, however, has investigated whether the effects of choice bundling generalize to reward losses. In the present study, an online panel of cigarette smokers (N = 302), recruited using survey firms Ipsos and InnovateMR, completed assessments for either monetary gains or losses (randomly assigned). In Step 1, participants completed a delay-discounting task to …

Visualization-Driven Time-Series Extraction From Wearable Systems Can Facilitate Differentiation Of Passive Adl Characteristics Among Stroke And Healthy Older Adults, Joby John, Rahul Soangra

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Wearable technologies allow the measurement of unhindered activities of daily living (ADL) among patients who had a stroke in their natural settings. However, methods to extract meaningful information from large multi-day datasets are limited. This study investigated new visualization-driven time-series extraction methods for distinguishing activities from stroke and healthy adults. Fourteen stroke and fourteen healthy adults wore a wearable sensor at the L5/S1 position for three consecutive days and collected accelerometer data passively in the participant’s naturalistic environment. Data from visualization facilitated selecting information-rich time series, which resulted in classification accuracy of 97.3% using recurrent neural networks (RNNs). Individuals with …

Posttraumatic Growth In Women With A Long-Standing Experience Of Involuntary Childlessness In The Czech Republic, Gabriela Ďurašková, Brennan Peterson

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

This qualitative research study aimed to examine aspects of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in women with a long-standing experience of involuntary childlessness. In-depth semi-structured interviews, lasting an average of 53 min, were conducted in the Czech Republic. Twenty-four women, averaging 38.8 years old with an average of 6.2 years of infertility experience, participated. They were asked how involuntary childlessness affected/changed their partnerships, sexual life, job, future plans, attitude to children/values/faith, and leisure time. Participants shared both positive and negative aspects of the infertility experience. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five main themes of PTG were identified: strengthening of partnership, greater …

Glynac (Glycine And N-Acetylcysteine) Supplementation Improves Impaired Mitochondrial Fuel Oxidation And Lowers Insulin Resistance In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Results Of A Pilot Study, Rajagopal V Sekhar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are known to have mitochondrial dysfunction and increased insulin resistance (IR), but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. We reported previously that (a) adequacy of the antioxidant glutathione (GSH) is necessary for optimal mitochondrial fatty-acid oxidation (MFO); (b) supplementing the GSH precursors glycine and N-acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) in mice corrected GSH deficiency, reversed impaired MFO, and lowered oxidative stress (OxS) and IR; and (c) supplementing GlyNAC in patients with T2D improved GSH synthesis and concentrations, and lowered OxS. However, the effect of GlyNAC on MFO, MGO (mitochondrial glucose oxidation), IR and plasma FFA …

Allelic Variants Within The Abo Blood Group Phenotype Confer Protection Against Critical Covid-19 Hospital Presentation, Herbert F. Jelinek, Mira Mousa, Nawal Alkaabi, Eman Alefishat, Gihan Daw Elbait, Hussein Kannout, Hiba Alhumaidan, Francis Amirtharaj Selvaraj, Hala Imambaccus, Stefan Weber, Maimunah Uddin, Fatema Abdulkarim, Bassam Mahboub, Guan Tay, Habiba Alsafar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease severity differs widely due to numerous factors including ABO gene-derived susceptibility or resistance. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of the ABO blood group and genetic variations of the ABO gene with COVID-19 severity in a heterogeneous hospital population sample from the United Arab Emirates, with the use of an epidemiological and candidate gene approach from a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 646 participants who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were recruited from multiple hospitals and population-based (quarantine …

New Approaches For Testing Non-Inferiority For Three-Arm Trials With Poisson Distributed Outcomes, Samiran Ghosh, Erina Paul, Shrabanti Chowdhury, Ram C Tiwari

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

With the availability of limited resources, innovation for improved statistical method for the design and analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is of paramount importance for newer and better treatment discovery for any therapeutic area. Although clinical efficacy is almost always the primary evaluating criteria to measure any beneficial effect of a treatment, there are several important other factors (e.g., side effects, cost burden, less debilitating, less intensive, etc.), which can permit some less efficacious treatment options favorable to a subgroup of patients. This leads to non-inferiority (NI) testing. The objective of NI trial is to show that an experimental …

A Whole-Exome Case-Control Association Study To Characterize The Contribution Of Rare Coding Variation To Pancreatic Cancer Risk, Yao Yu, Kyle Chang, Jiun-Sheng Chen, Ryan J Bohlender, Jerry Fowler, Di Zhang, Maosheng Huang, Ping Chang, Yanan Li, Justin Wong, Huamin Wang, Jian Gu, Xifeng Wu, Joellen Schildkraut, Lisa Cannon-Albright, Yuanqing Ye, Hua Zhao, Michelle A T Hildebrandt, Jennifer B Permuth, Donghui Li, Paul Scheet, Chad D Huff

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease that accounts for approximately 5% of cancer deaths worldwide, with a dismal 5-year survival rate of 10%. Known genetic risk factors explain only a modest proportion of the heritable risk of pancreatic cancer. We conducted a whole-exome case-control sequencing study in 1,591 pancreatic cancer cases and 2,134 cancer-free controls of European ancestry. In our gene-based analysis, ATM ranked first, with a genome-wide significant p value of 1 × 10-8. The odds ratio for protein-truncating variants in ATM was 24, which is substantially higher than prior estimates, although ours includes a broad 95% confidence interval …

Isolated Reoperative Tricuspid Valve Surgery: Outcomes And Risk Assessment, Tahir I. Mohamed, Omar J. Baqal, Abdulaziz A. Binzaid, Hussam T. Alhennawi, Abdulrahman R. Barakeh, Omar M. Mrayati, Aly M. Alsanei

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Objective To describe patient characteristics and post-operative outcomes, including early and late mortality, defined by death within 30 days and after 30 days post-surgery, respectively, as well as 20-year survival after isolated reoperative tricuspid surgery.

Methods We retrospectively analyzed 169 patients who underwent isolated reoperative tricuspid valve surgery at our institution (between 1997 and 2000) and describe post-surgical outcomes including intraoperative, early and late mortality. All patients included completed 21 years of follow-up.

Results The majority of our patients were females 147 (87%) with the mean age of 45.9 ±12.9 years. The mean body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) was 27.4 …

Rapidly Worsening Left Ventricular Systolic Function And In Hospital Ventricular Fibrillation After Permanent Pacemaker Implantation – Is There A Missing Link?, Debabrata Bera, Subir Ghose, Ayan Kar, Koushik Dasgupta

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

No abstract provided.

All In: How Colby Met Covid-19, Gerry Boyle

Colby Magazine

It was last August and first-years were arriving, unloading cars, lugging stuff into residence halls. President David A. Greene was on hand for the big day, meeting students, greeting parents, only to hear, “We expect to be back here within two weeks to a month to pick up our child.” It didn’t happen.

How Cereal Helped Shape The American Diet In The 20th Century, Maxwell T. Shoemaker

The Exposition

No abstract provided.

Case Study: Degenerative Joint Disease In Canines, Zachary B. Lawrence, Rusty Rogers, Emily Schmitt Lavin

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Degenerative joint disease (DJD) is the gradual degeneration of cartilage in joints, resulting in pain for the affected areas. This study focused on Lacy (name changed for privacy), a 10-year-old spayed female chihuahua mix, that was clinically diagnosed for DJD and treated by Dr. Rogers over a period of 15 months. DJD is typically treated through a combination of pharmacological management, nonpharmacological treatment, and changes in lifestyle. Pharmacological treatment utilized pain medications, such as Gabapentin and Tramadol. Nonpharmacological treatment and changes in lifestyle involve methods, such as maintaining an ideal body weight, to decrease pain and increase mobility. However, during …

The Impact Of Delivery Mode On The Human Microbiome: A Global Perspective, Fizzah Qureshi, Fiza Edhi, Andrew T. Ozga

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

The mode of childbirth in humans (vaginal or cesarean section) is considered to be one of the most influential factors in the development of gut microbiota of an infant. A microbiome is defined as a collection of microorganisms that are concentrated together in a single location or body site. The genetic material of all microbes, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, comprises this complex ecosystem. The gut microbiota regulate digestion and strengthen the immune system in humans, helping to maintain homeostasis and are at the early stages of life, dictated by the method of delivery. Vaginal versus cesarean deliveries have increased …

Forward Together Update [Start Of A New Semester Faculty & Staff Focused], January 12, 2022, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Response to COVID-19

Update on spring semester protocols, including information about vaccines, testing, and what to do if sick or exposed. Also includes information on seating charts and the spring syllabus statements.

2022-01-12_Michigandaily_Covidmap, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Daily Michigan COVID-19 Update

The "WHERE WE STAND WITH COVID-19" map was obtained from Michigan's main COVID-19 page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated daily at 3p.m., Monday - Saturday.

The State of Michigan is working around the clock to test and treat COVID-19 patients. Below is the most recent data healthcare experts across the state have compiled.

The image contained a map, indicating total cases by county, and also provides statistics on Total Confirmed Cases, Total COVID-19 Deaths, Daily Confirmed Cases, and Daily COVID-19 Deaths. There …

2022-01-12 Michiganoverview_Covidbedppe, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Hospital Data

Contains the tables Statewide Hospital Capacity Report for COVID-19, COVID-19 Metrics, Statewide Hospital Available PPE Tracking for COVID-19, as well as the tables PPE Days On Hand and Patient Census.

2022-01-12_Michiganoverview_Covidstats, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Cumulative Michigan COVID-19 Data

The COVID Overview page was obtained from Michigan's main COVID-19 page: https:/www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-98163-520743--,00.html.

The State of Michigan is working around the clock to test and treat COVID-19 patients. Below is the most recent data healthcare experts across the state have compiled. COVID case and testing data will be posted three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

This report is provisional and subject to change. City of Detroit and Wayne County are reported separately. MDHHS began tracking probable cases April 5, 2020. FCI indicates federal correctional institute. MDOC indicates Michigan Department of Corrections. Diagnostic tests, including nucleic acid amplification/real-time …