Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Molecular Imaging Of Ace2 Expression In Infectious Disease And Cancer, Zhiyao Li, Abbie Hasson, Lasya Daggumati, Hanwen Zhang, Daniel L J Thorek

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a cell-surface receptor that plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Through the use of ligands engineered for the receptor, ACE2 imaging has emerged as a valuable tool for preclinical and clinical research. These can be used to visualize the expression and distribution of ACE2 in tissues and cells. A variety of techniques including optical, magnetic resonance, and nuclear medicine contrast agents have been developed and employed in the preclinical setting. Positron-emitting radiotracers for highly sensitive and quantitative tomography have also been translated in the context of SARS-CoV-2-infected and control patients. Together …

A Rare Cause Of Diarrhea: Intestinal Spirochetosis In An Hiv-Positive Patient., Lacey Falgout, Shilpa Kailas, Supraja Sridhar, Nisha Loganantharaj

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Intestinal spirochetosis (IS) is a rare gastrointestinal infection with vague presenting symptoms. Diagnosis is confirmed histopathologically. Risk factors include homosexuality and HIV. Antibiotic treatment with metronidazole usually leads to resolution of symptoms. We present the case of a 56-year-old HIV-positive man with chronic, watery diarrhea who was diagnosed with IS. This case highlights the importance of considering IS in the differential in HIV-positive patients with nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms after more common etiologies have been ruled out.

Religious Commitment And Intent To Die By Suicide During The Pandemic, Karen Mason, Melinda Moore, Jerry K. Palmer, Zihan Yang

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in 10–34-year-olds in the U.S. It is vital to identify protective factors that promote resilience in a suicide crisis. Background: This study explored the contributions of religious commitment (RC) and religious service attendance to decreased suicide intent in 18–34-year-olds. Possible moderators were investigated, including church-based social support, pandemic-related faith struggles (PRFS), and moral objections to suicide. Methods: Participants completed an online survey reporting on RC, suicide intent, church-based social support, religious service attendance, PRFS, and moral objections to suicide. Results: In the convenience sample of 451 18–34-year-olds (M = 24.97; 47.23% female), …

Building On The Health Policy Analysis Triangle: Elucidation Of The Elements, Aysha Zahidie, Saima Asif, Meesha Iqbal

Community Health Sciences

The health policy triangle first presented in the 20th century by Walt and Gilson has been extensively used at local, national, regional, and international levels to assess health policies related to communicable and non-communicable diseases, physical and mental health, antenatal and postnatal care, and human resources, services, and systems. However, the framework lacks intricate details for the four pillars in the triangle viz: 'content,' 'context', 'actors', and 'processes. We propose a checklist of elements to be considered for each pillar; to ease and enhance the process of policy analyses for researchers and policymakers across the globe, including low- and middle-income …

Protein S Antibody As An Adjunct Therapy For Hemophilia B, Hope P. Wilson, Aliyah Pierre, Ashley L. Paysse, Narender Kumar, Brian C. Cooley, Pratyadipta Rudra, Adrianne W. Dorsey, Diana Polania-Villanueva, Sabyasachi Chatterjee, Maissaa Janbain, Maria C. Velez, Rinku Majumder

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

ABSTRACT: Hemophilia B (HB) is caused by an inherited deficiency of plasma coagulation factor IX (FIX). Approximately 60% of pediatric patients with HB possess a severe form of FIX deficiency (< 1% FIX activity). Treatment typically requires replacement therapy through the administration of FIX. However, exogenous FIX has a limited functional half-life, and the natural anticoagulant protein S (PS) inhibits activated FIX (FIXa). PS ultimately limits thrombin formation, which limits plasma coagulation. This regulation of FIXa activity by PS led us to test whether inhibiting PS would extend the functional half-life of FIX and thereby prolong FIX-based HB therapy. We assayed clotting times and thrombin generation to measure the efficacy of a PS antibody for increasing FIX activity in commercially obtained plasma and plasma from pediatric patients with HB. We included 11 pediatric patients who lacked additional comorbidities and coagulopathies. In vivo, we assessed thrombus formation in HB mice in the presence of the FIXa ± PS antibody. We found an accelerated rate of clotting in the presence of PS antibody. Similarly, the peak thrombin formed was significantly greater in the presence of the PS antibody, even in plasma from patients with severe HB. Furthermore, HB mice injected with PS antibody and FIX had a 4.5-fold higher accumulation of fibrin at the thrombus induction site compared with mice injected with FIX alone. Our findings imply that a PS antibody would be a valuable adjunct to increase the effectiveness of FIX replacement therapy in pediatric patients who have mild, moderate, and severe HB.

Transcriptomic Analysis Of Stem Cells From Chorionic Villi Uncovers The Impact Of Chromosomes 2, 6 And 22 In The Clinical Manifestations Of Down Syndrome, Salvatore Vaiasicca, Gianmarco Melone, David W James, Marcos Quintela, Alessandra Preziuso, Richard H Finnell, Robert Steven Conlan, Lewis W Francis, Bruna Corradetti

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Down syndrome (DS) clinical multisystem condition is generally considered the result of a genetic imbalance generated by the extra copy of chromosome 21. Recent discoveries, however, demonstrate that the molecular mechanisms activated in DS compared to euploid individuals are more complex than previously thought. Here, we utilize mesenchymal stem cells from chorionic villi (CV) to uncover the role of comprehensive functional genomics-based understanding of DS complexity.

METHODS: Next-generation sequencing coupled with bioinformatic analysis was performed on CV obtained from women carrying fetuses with DS (DS-CV) to reveal specific genome-wide transcriptional changes compared to their euploid counterparts. Functional assays were …

Management Of Constipation In Hospitalized Patients, Gregory S Sayuk, Qi T Yu, Corey Shy

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Constipation is frequently encountered in hospital settings and can have potentially serious consequences yet is often underrecognized and undertreated. Opioid-induced constipation is a common cause of constipation in hospitalized patients. Opioids induce constipation through agonistic effects on enteric µ-opioid receptors. This review aims to provide insight on the identification and management of constipation in inpatient settings, with a particular focus on opioid-induced constipation. Constipation assessment should be routinely initiated at hospital admission and can be facilitated by thorough symptom assessments; relevant patient history, including recent medication use; physical examination; and patient assessment tools developed to evaluate the impact of constipation. …

Volume 27, Issue 1

Medical Muse

No abstract provided.

The Social Determinants Of Health And Reentry: An Exploratory Study, Makayla Lewis, Brian Schaefer, Heather Ouellette

The Cardinal Edge

Being released from jail affects a person’s ability to secure basic needs such as health, housing, and employment. Compounding these barriers are issues related to returning to impoverished communities, complicated relationships with families and support systems, and minimal reentry opportunities within jails and upon release. This study explores how the Opportunity Network’s reentry workbook is working to address the social determinants of health and improve perceptions of successful reentry outcomes.

Hyaluronan Modulated Expression Of Mmps 2, 9, And 12 In Macrophages, Jeffrey S. Miller, Caitlin Howard, Steven P. Jones Phd

The Cardinal Edge

Hyaluronan (HA) is a ubiquitously expressed Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) found as a main component of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are class of enzyme responsible for the degradation of multiple ECM components, including HA. Following a myocardial infarction (MI), ECM remodeling occurs in the infarct tissue and involves an accumulation of HA. Remodeling is facilitated by multiple cell types, including macrophages. During post-MI ECM remodeling, macrophages degrade and ingulf dead cells and ECM components, a process which requires the expression of MMPs. MMPs 2, 9, and 12 are known to be elevated post-MI; MMPs 9 and 12 are known …

A Logistics Approach To Improve Medication Reconciliation In The Outpatient Clinic Setting, Aysha Khan, Demetra Antimisiaris, Madison Perkins, Luz Fernandez

The Cardinal Edge

Medication reconciliation (MR) is the process of determining the most accurate account of medication the patient is taking. Although MR seems simple, research has shown that 25% of medical errors are related to lack of medication reconciliation [1]. In the community clinic setting, the task of medication reconciliation falls on the Medical Assistants (MAs). A preliminary study of MR accuracy in an outpatient clinic found an average of 5.8 discrepancies in the chart medication list [2]. The most notable were incomplete directions, wrong directions, or wrong frequency of dosing. Unoptimized medication use is estimated to result in 275,869 deaths per …

All-Cause And Opioid-Related Mortality Compared Between Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury And The Us General Population, Jaden Whitehead, Beatrice Ugiliweneza

The Cardinal Edge

Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) are susceptible to the misuse of opioids due to the introduction of these substances for pain management. There are very few studies examining the relationship between unintentional deaths caused by opioid usage following spinal cord injury. The objective of this study was to evaluate the trend of opioid-related mortality of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) over the years and compare these findings to the mortality rates due to opioid misuse in the general population. In this study, we used data provided by the National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (NSCIMS) for SCI 1999-2016 …

Evaluation Of Oxidative Status, Potassium, Magnesium, And Lipid Profile In Serum Of Patients With Β-Thalassemia Major, Thi-Qar, Iraq., Ahmed Jaber Ibrahim, Arwa H. M. Al–Saeed

Maaen Journal for Medical Sciences

Beta thalassemia major () is one of the more prevalent hereditary diseases in the globe due to a deficiency of globin chains. It is associated with lipid abnormalities, electrolytes, and oxidative stress that can lead to potentially fatal complications. The current study included 100 patients diagnosed with in an age group of 2-18 years compared to 80 healthy subjects. The current study included evaluating Complete blood count (CBC), iron status, lipid profile, potassium, and magnesium. Also, Oxidative status represented by Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), and Nitric oxide (NO) were investigated. The finding of this study included a significant increase …

Spanlastics Nanovesicles: An Emerging And Innovative Approach For Drug Delivery, Shaimaa N. Abd Alhammid, Hanan J. Kassab, Lina S. Hussein, Mahmood A. Haiss, Hussein K. Alkufi

Maaen Journal for Medical Sciences

The use of vesicular structures as a drug delivery method has many advantages, including extending the duration of the drug's action in circulation, enhancing drug targeting, minimizing adverse effects, and boosting the bioavailability of a variety of medications. Spanlastics, which are elastic and can transport a range of pharmaceutical substances, are thought to be a subset of nanovesicles. They have drawn interest as a potentially effective medicine delivery method. They are a preferred choice for many administration routes because of their pliable and elastic nature, which allows them to pass through various cellular membranes. Non-ionic surfactants or a mixture of …

Assessment Of Adherence To National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guideline Recommended Anticoagulant Therapy In The Management Of Patients With Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolic Disease, Ghufran Hassoun Naeemah, Ayad Ali Hussein Ameen

Maaen Journal for Medical Sciences

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), a vascular disorder, is a serious and sometimes fatal problem, ranking as the second-deadliest complication for people with cancer. VTE includes pulmonary embolism, superficial vein thrombosis, deep vein thromboembolism, and internal vein thrombosis. It is important to note that cancer patients have almost nine times higher odds of dying from this illness. Objective: The Najaf Cancer Center conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of oncologist strategies in the prevention and treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE). The primary objective was to measure the adherence of VTE patients to anticoagulant therapy recommended by the NCCN guidelines. …

A Retrospective Review Of 30-Day Hospital Readmission Risk After Open Heart Surgery In Patients With Atrial Fibrillation, Varun Ashutosh Rao, Genaro Deleon, Aish Thamba, Mindy Flanagan, Kathleen Nickel, Douglas Gray Md

Medical Student Research

Introduction

Readmission rates after open heart surgery (OHS) remain an important clinical issue. The causes are varied, with identifying risk factors potentially providing valuable information to reduce healthcare costs and the rate of post-operative complications. This study aimed to characterize the reasons for 30-day hospital readmission rates of patients after open heart surgery.

Methods

All patients over 18 years of age undergoing OHS at a community hospital from January 2020 through December 2020 were identified. Demographic data, medical history, operative reports, post-operative complications, and telehealth interventions were obtained through chart review. Descriptive statistics and readmission rates were calculated, along with …

Self-Supervised Deep Clustering Of Single-Cell Rna-Seq Data To Hierarchically Detect Rare Cell Populations., Tianyuan Lei, Ruoyu Chen, Shaoqiang Zhang, Yong Chen

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a widely used technique for characterizing individual cells and studying gene expression at the single-cell level. Clustering plays a vital role in grouping similar cells together for various downstream analyses. However, the high sparsity and dimensionality of large scRNA-seq data pose challenges to clustering performance. Although several deep learning-based clustering algorithms have been proposed, most existing clustering methods have limitations in capturing the precise distribution types of the data or fully utilizing the relationships between cells, leaving a considerable scope for improving the clustering performance, particularly in detecting rare cell populations from large scRNA-seq data. …

Cognitive Neuropsychology Of Autism, Attention- Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders And The Role That Neurodivergence Plays On Social Skills, Cognition And Behavior., Madison Mckee

D.U.Quark

Many studies have investigated how structural abnormalities directly affect the brain, but few have sought to understand the experience of living with neurodivergence. Two common neurodivergent disorders, Autism and ADHD, result from an abnormal development in the frontal lobe, caudate and corpus callosum. Disruptions in these areas have inhibitory effects on behavior and nerve signaling which results in deficits in executive functioning and Theory of Mind (ToM). The presence of these disruptions provides evidence that neurodevelopmental conditions are as physical as they are enduring. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the cognitive and behavioral deficits of Autism and …

Murine Models Of Graft Versus Host Disease (Gvhd): Focus On Ocular Gvhd, Philipp Steven, Victor L. Perez, Ajay Sharma

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Graft versus host disease (GVHD) remains a major and serious complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Based on the time of onset, clinical phenotypes, progression kinetics, and pathophysiology, GVHD is stratified into acute, chronic, and overlapping types. The eyes are among the most commonly affected organs in GVHD. Mouse models have played an important role in understanding the several key elements of GVHD pathobiology. The current review discusses the immunology, pathology, and key phenotypic features of mouse models of systemic GVHD. Furthermore, a critical appraisal of mouse models of ocular GVHD (oGVHD) is provided. The disease mechanisms …

Exploring Opportunities To Expand And Improve Prep Uptake In Vulnerable Us Communities., Pedro B. Carneiro

Dissertations and Theses

The implementation of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in the United States has fallen short of meeting both 2020 and projected 2030 milestones, with less than one-third of those who would benefit most from PrEP choosing to initiate it. High discontinuation rates and persistently elevated HIV incidence underscore the need for improvement. However, opportunities exist to enhance PrEP uptake, supported by a growing pipeline of PrEP innovations. To achieve this, effective implementation of available tools to combat HIV and the inclusion of all communities as stakeholders are essential. One such tool is event-driven (ED) PrEP, also known as PrEP 2-1-1, which is …

Integrated Inflammatory Signaling Landscape Response After Delivering Elovanoid Free-Fatty-Acid Precursors Leading To Experimental Stroke Neuroprotection, Madigan M. Reid, Ludmila Belayev, Larissa Khoutorova, Pranab K. Mukherjee, Andre Obenaus, Kierany Shelvin, Stacey Knowles, Sung Ha Hong, Nicolas G. Bazan

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Despite efforts to identify modulatory neuroprotective mechanisms of damaging ischemic stroke cascade signaling, a void remains on an effective potential therapeutic. The present study defines neuroprotection by very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (VLC-PUFA) Elovanoid (ELV) precursors C-32:6 and C-34:6 delivered intranasally following experimental ischemic stroke. We demonstrate that these precursors improved neurological deficit, decreased T2WI lesion volume, and increased SMI-71 positive blood vessels and NeuN positive neurons, indicating blood–brain barrier (BBB) protection and neurogenesis modulated by the free fatty acids (FFAs) C-32:6 and C-34:6. Gene expression revealed increased anti-inflammatory and pro-homeostatic genes and decreases in expression of pro-inflammatory genes in …

Heterochronic Serum Proteins, Jeffrey Mason

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Mechanism of ovarian-dependent enhancement of health and longevity in postreproductive female mice

Acute Ethanol Modulates Synaptic Inhibition In The Basolateral Amygdala Via Rapid Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activation And Regulates Anxiety-Like Behavior In Rats, Soumyabrata Munshi, Lucas Albrechet-Souza, Raoni Conceição Dos-Santos, Claire E. Stelly, Maria E. Secci, Nicholas W. Gilpin, Jeffrey G. Tasker

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Chronic alcohol exposure leads to a neuroinflammatory response involving activation of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Acute ethanol (EtOH) exposure activates GABAergic synapses in the central and basolateral amygdala (BLA) ex vivo, but whether this rapid modulation of synaptic inhibition is due to an acute inflammatory response and alters anxiety-like behavior in male and female animals is not known. Here, we tested the hypotheses that acute EtOH facilitates inhibitory synaptic transmission in the BLA by activating the NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent acute inflammatory response, that the alcohol-induced increase in inhibition is cell type- and …

Interpretable Artificial Intelligence For Classification Of Alveolar Bone Defect In Patients With Cleft Lip And Palate, Felicia Miranda, Vishakha Choudhari, Selene Barone, Luc Anchling, Nathan Hutin, Marcela Gurgel, Najla Al Turkestani, Marilia Yatabe, Jonas Bianchi, Aron Aliaga-Del Castillo, Paulo Zupelari-Gonçalves, Sean Edwards, Daniela Garib, Lucia Cevidanes, Juan Prieto

Pacific Faculty Work

Cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) is the most common congenital craniofacial anomaly and requires bone grafting of the alveolar cleft. This study aimed to develop a novel classification algorithm to assess the severity of alveolar bone defects in patients with CLP using three-dimensional (3D) surface models and to demonstrate through an interpretable artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm the decisions provided by the classifier. Cone-beam computed tomography scans of 194 patients with CLP were used to train and test the performance of an automatic classification of the severity of alveolar bone defect. The shape, height, and width of the alveolar bone defect …

One Size Doesn’T Fit All: Attitudes Towards Work Modify The Relation Between Parental Leave Length And Postpartum Depression, Christine Y. Chang, Sabrina R. Liu, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental leave length and maternal depressive symptoms at six- and twelve-months postpartum and whether this relation was influenced by women’s attitudes towards leave, whether leave was paid or unpaid, and the reason they returned to work. The sample included 115 working women recruited during pregnancy as part of a larger longitudinal study. Analyses revealed that maternal attitudes toward leave influenced the association between leave length and depressive symptoms. Specifically, longer leaves were associated with increased depressive symptoms for women who missed their previous activities at work. Furthermore, women who missed work …

Interpreting Randomized Controlled Trials, Pavlos Msaouel, Juhee Lee, Peter F Thall

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This article describes rationales and limitations for making inferences based on data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We argue that obtaining a representative random sample from a patient population is impossible for a clinical trial because patients are accrued sequentially over time and thus comprise a convenience sample, subject only to protocol entry criteria. Consequently, the trial's sample is unlikely to represent a definable patient population. We use causal diagrams to illustrate the difference between random allocation of interventions within a clinical trial sample and true simple or stratified random sampling, as executed in surveys. We argue that group-specific statistics, …

Direct Oral Anticoagulants In Patients With Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Spencer C. Lacy, Menhel Kinno, Cara Joyce, Mingxi D. Yu

Biostatistics Collaborative Core: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Background and Objectives: Atrial fibrillation is common in patients with cardiac amyloidosis. However, the optimal anticoagulation strategy to prevent thromboembolic events in patients with cardiac amyloidosis and atrial fibrillation is unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis compares direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) vs. vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in patients with cardiac amyloidosis and atrial fibrillation.

Methods: We performed a systematic literature review to identify clinical studies of anticoagulation therapies for patients with cardiac amyloidosis and atrial fibrillation. The primary outcomes of major bleeding and thrombotic events were reported using random effects risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results: Our …

Prevalence Of Fibromyalgia And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Among Individuals With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: An Analysis Of United States National Inpatient Sample Database, Zahid Ijaz Tarar, Umer Farooq, Ahmad Nawaz, Mustafa Gandhi, Yezaz A Ghouri, Asmeen Bhatt, Brooks D Cash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and Aim: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder associated with other somatic disorders. We studied the prevalence and predictors of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in IBS patients. Methods: We used the National Inpatient Sample and included hospitalization of individuals with IBS, using ICD-10 codes, from 2016–2019. The prevalence and predictors of fibromyalgia and CFS in IBS patients were studied. Univariate and multivariate patient- and hospital-level regression models were used to calculate the adjusted odds of fibromyalgia and CFS in the IBS patient population. Results: Of 1,256,325 patients with an ICD-10 code of IBS included …

Social Vulnerability Of The People Exposed To Wildfires In Us West Coast States, Arash Modaresi Rad, John T Abatzoglou, Erica Fleishman, Miranda H Mockrin, Volker C Radeloff, Yavar Pourmohamad, Megan Cattau, J Michael Johnson, Philip Higuera, Nicholas J Nauslar, Mojtaba Sadegh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Understanding of the vulnerability of populations exposed to wildfires is limited. We used an index from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess the social vulnerability of populations exposed to wildfire from 2000-2021 in California, Oregon, and Washington, which accounted for 90% of exposures in the western United States. The number of people exposed to fire from 2000-2010 to 2011-2021 increased substantially, with the largest increase, nearly 250%, for people with high social vulnerability. In Oregon and Washington, a higher percentage of exposed people were highly vulnerable (>40%) than in California (~8%). Increased social vulnerability of …

Prevalence Of Fibromyalgia And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Among Individuals With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: An Analysis Of United States National Inpatient Sample Database, Zahid Ijaz Tarar, Umer Farooq, Ahmad Nawaz, Mustafa Gandhi, Yezaz A Ghouri, Asmeen Bhatt, Brooks D Cash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and Aim: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder associated with other somatic disorders. We studied the prevalence and predictors of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in IBS patients. Methods: We used the National Inpatient Sample and included hospitalization of individuals with IBS, using ICD-10 codes, from 2016–2019. The prevalence and predictors of fibromyalgia and CFS in IBS patients were studied. Univariate and multivariate patient- and hospital-level regression models were used to calculate the adjusted odds of fibromyalgia and CFS in the IBS patient population. Results: Of 1,256,325 patients with an ICD-10 code of IBS included …