Diseases Commons^™

Factors Associated With Loss To Follow-Up Among Hiv-Infected Patients At An Urban, Hospital-Based Outpatient Hiv Clinic, Timothy J. Friel Md, Anthony Nerino, Lynn Nagel, J D'Aversa, Anthony Strobel, Dorothy Faulkner Phd

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Hiv/Aids In The Muslim-Majority Countries: Formula For Low Prevalence, Kaoru Yamaguchi

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The Muslim-majority countries long had been considered to be free of HIV/AIDS epidemic because of their strict religious and moral codes. However, the HIV prevalence rates are increasing in some Islamic states, and even more or so rapidly in a several cases that it is no longer valid to assume the Islamic religion protects its followers from the risks of contracting HIV. Contrary to the popular belief concerning the prevention of the HIV/AIDs epidemic, data collected from well-recognized international organizations such as the WHO and Freedom House indicate that democratization, strong government leadership, and wider and equal human rights for …

Cytomegalovirus Cc Chemokine Promotes Immune Cell Migration, Jennifer Totonchy, Michael Denton, Craig N. Kreklywich, Takeshi Andoh, Jessica M. Osborn, Daniel Chen, Ilhem Messaoudi, Susan L. Orloff, Daniel N. Streblow

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Cytomegaloviruses manipulate the host chemokine/receptor axis by altering cellular chemokine expression and by encoding multiple chemokines and chemokine receptors. Similar to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), rat cytomegalovirus (RCMV) encodes multiple CC chemokine-analogous proteins, including r129 (HCMV UL128 homologue) and r131 (HCMV UL130 and MCMV m129/130 homologues). Although these proteins play a role in CMV entry, their function as chemotactic cytokines remains unknown. In the current study, we examined the role of the RCMV chemokine r129 in promoting cellular migration and in accelerating transplant vascular sclerosis (TVS) in our rat heart transplant model. We determined that r129 protein is released into culture …

Contraception In Adolescents, Donald E. Greydanus, Carolyn M. Lentzsch-Parcells, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The age of adolescence is the time when most adolescents in the world begin to be sexually active with resultant millions of pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This chapter considers methods of contraception for these adolescents, including oral contraceptives, transdermal contraception, minipills, intra-vaginal ring, injectable contraception, intrauterine devices (IUDs), barrier contraceptives, implants, and others. It is important for clinicians caring for sexually active youth to provide information regarding contraception and appropriate contraceptive prescriptions.

Household Survey To Evaluate The Zambia-Led Prevention Initiative: Baseline Report, Zambia-Led Prevention Initiative

HIV and AIDS

With an estimated HIV prevalence of 14.3 percent among men and women age 15–49, Zambia is one of the sub-Saharan African countries most affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic. The Zambia-led Prevention Initiative Program (ZPI) was developed by a consortium led by FHI360, with the Population Council as the evaluation partner. This study determined baseline levels of key indicators related to HIV, gender-based violence, and reproductive health. Additionally, the baseline findings provide critical insights into key areas for interventions in Zambia and highlights variability in the populations across provinces and between males and females that provide valuable guidance for …

Natural Antiparasitic Coumarins: An In Silico Study, William R. Erwin

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Study Guide For United In Anger: A History Of Act Up, Matt Brim

Open Educational Resources

The United in Anger Study Guide facilitates classroom and activist engagement with Jim Hubbard’s 2012 documentary, United in Anger: A History of ACT UP. The Study Guide contains discussion sections, projects and exercises, and resources for further research about the activism of the New York chapter of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). The Study Guide is a free, interactive, multimedia resource for understanding the legacy of ACT UP, the film’s role in preserving that legacy, and its meaning for viewers' lives.

Autophagy And Apoptotic Genes Implicated In Alzheimer’S Disease Are Modulated Following Infection Of Neuronal Cells With Chlamydia Pneumoniae, Denah M. Appelt, Ian Kohler, Annette K. Slutter, Juliana Zoga, Susan T. Hingley, Brian J. Balin

Scholarly Posters

Background: The focus of the current studies was to determine the relationship between the molecular mechanisms interconnecting autophagy and apoptosis following Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in neuronal cells. Dysfunctions in apoptosis and autophagy have been implicated in the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Autophagy in AD pathogenesis has been shown to play a role in amyloid processing through the endosomal-lysosomal system. Apoptosis may contribute to the neuronal cell loss observed in AD; however, there is limited evidence of the apoptotic process proceeding to terminal completion. Although Aβ1-42 has been shown to induce apoptosis in neurons and may be an early …

Insulin Pump School: Back To The Basics Of Pump Therapy, Sara Wilson Reece, Cheryl Williams

Scholarly Posters

The Longstreet Clinic (TLC), P.C. is a regional multidisciplinary physician practice. The Internal Medicine (IM) and Family Medicine (FM) departments are located in Gainesville and Oakwood (Hall County), Georgia. • Hall County is located in Northeast Georgia 50 miles northeast of Atlanta. It lies at the southern edge of the Chattahoochee National Forest and the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The population of Hall County is approximately 187,700. • Diabetes Education and Medical Nutritional Therapy department provides diabetes education and management services for IM and FM patients with diabetes. • Team of CDEs: RN, RD, PharmD • RN and …

Coxsackievirus B3 Infection Leads To The Generation Of Cardiac Myosin Heavy Chain-Α-Reactive Cd4 T Cells In A/J Mice, Arunakumar Gangaplara, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, Deborah M. Brown, Gustavo A. Delhon, Asit K. Pattnaik, Nora Chapman, Noel Rose, David J. Steffen, Jay Reddy

Jay Reddy Publications

Enteroviruses like coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) are common suspects in myocarditis/dilated cardiomyopathy patients. Autoimmunity has been proposed as an underlying mechanism, but direct evidence of its role is lacking. To delineate autoimmune response in CVB3 myocarditis, we used IA^k dextramers for cardiac myosin heavy chain (Myhc)-α 334–352. We have demonstrated that myocarditis-susceptible A/J mice infected with CVB3 generate Myhc-α-reactive CD4 T cells and such a repertoire was absent in naïve mice as measured by proliferative response to Myhc-α 334–352 and IA^k dextramer staining. We also detected Myhc-α 334–352 dextramer⁺ cells in the hearts of CVB3-infected mice. The autoreactive …

Sickle Cell Anemia, Derek Hayse

A with Honors Projects

What Sickle Cell Anemia is, its symptoms, how it is acquired, how it can be prevented, and how to deal with having it.

What Evidence Is Available On Apixaban For The Primary Prevention Of Stroke In Patients With Atrial Fibrillation?, Justin Dang, Laura Tsu

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

This drug information question and answer sheet discusses the use of apixaban (Eliquis) for the primary prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Anti-Platelet Therapy In Acute Coronary Syndromes: Updates In Therapy After Stent Implantation, Ryan Mckenzie, Andrew Park, Laura Tsu

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

This home-study CPE activity has been developed to educate pharmacists on updates in anti-platelet therapy after stent implantation.

Treatment Options For Parkinson’S Disease, Sara Russ

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from this article: Parkinson’s disease was first described and named Paralysis Agitans in 1817 by British physician James Parkinson (Lieberman 2004). Later on, it took on its current name after Dr. Parkinson. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological disorder for which the cause is yet to be discovered. Like many other diseases, PD has numerous facets. Throughout all of its different stages, it presents with motor, as well as nonmotor, symptoms (Simuni et al. 2009). Though estimates of people affected by PD are constantly being made, it is difficult to determine a precise and accurate …

Genetically Modified T-Cells Expressing Chimeric Antigen Receptors In The Treatment Of Cancer, Efrat Bruck

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Carl June and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania have succeeded in treating patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia using gene therapy. Two of the three patients treated sustained a complete remission and one a partial remission. The procedure involved transducing the patients’ T cells to express chimeric antigen receptors which target a particular protein found on both healthy and cancerous B cells. Following infusion of the newly transduced T cells, each patient developed clinical symptoms associated with an intense immune response. Shortly thereafter, tumors were completely eliminated in two of the patients and partially eliminated in the third. …

Imatinib Resistance In Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Rivky Kops

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a disorder of blood stem cells in bone marrow, which leads to a rapid production of white blood cells. Of the patients diagnosed with CML, 95% have the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome, which means that chromosome 22 is smaller than regular (22 q-). Historically, the median survival time for chronic phase CML patients was four to five years, while the accelerated and blast (profusion of immature red blood cells in circulation) phases had a much shorter survival time. Recently, due to the revolutionary new drug imatinib, CML patients diagnosed early have a higher survival rate. Nevertheless, …

How Biological And Non-Biological Disease Modifying Drugs Are Used In The Treatment Of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Esther Mantel

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to this article: Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term disease that leads to chronic inflammation of the joints and the surrounding tissue. Effects of the inflammation are pain and destruction of the bone and cartilage, which leads to severe disability and, possibly, shorter life expectancy. That is why early diagnosis and aggressive treatment is a fundamental strategy to stop the progression of the disease and suppress the inflammation before the damage is irreversible.

Functional Electrical Stimulation In Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, Meir Hildeshaim

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to this article: Spinal cord injury is defined as a “disconnection syndrome” that results in a loss of ability of the spinal cord to communicate ascending and/or descending impulses (Hamid and Hayak 2008). Due to its role as the primary conduit of motor and sensory impulses, spinal cord injury is widely regarded as one of the most catastrophic, survivable injuries a person can suffer. Depending on the severity and placement of the injury, the patient can experience a wide range of disability or death. A mild injury may result in the patient …

Kshv Infection Of Endothelial Cells Manipulates Cxcr7-Mediated Signaling: Implications For Kaposi’S Sarcoma Progression And Intervention, Jennifer Totonchy, Lisa Clepper, Janet Douglas, Liron Pantanowitz, Klaus Fruh, Ashlee V. Moses

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"CXCR7 was recently characterized as an alternative receptor for the chemokine CXCL12/SDF-1, previously thought to bind and signal exclusively through CXCR4.We recently identified CXCR7 as a key cellular factor in the endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction associated with KSHV infection. CXCL12 signaling is critically associated with tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis in several diverse tumors and is one of the most studied chemokine/chemokine receptor interactions in cancer systems. The tumorigenic activity of the CXCL12 signaling axis offers an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in multiple cancers including Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS). However, most of the research to date was based on the …

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy N. Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva V. Thompson-Robinson

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose. Methods.We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed. Results. Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between 2005 and 2008. …

Function-­Preserving Filters For Sampling In Biological Networks, Kathryn Dempsey Cooper, Sanjukta Bhowmick, Hesham Ali

Interdisciplinary Informatics Faculty Publications

Assays created to study systems of disease and aging can offer a whole new set of therapeutic targets. However, with experiments of this immense volume, data becomes unmanageable for many traditional analyses. Enter the biological network, a tool for modeling relationships among high-throughput data that is quickly rising in popularity. Small networks (in the order of hundreds to few thousands of nodes) use relationships between network structure to infer biological function; this relationship has been confirmed and used in many studies to advance the study of model organisms. Networks built for assessing entire genomes, or entire protein repertoires, however, tend …

Hepatic Immunosuppressive Effects Of Systemically- Administered Novel Dextran-Methylprednisolone Prodrugs With Peptide Linkers In Rats, Imam H. Shaik, Hitesh K. Agarwal, Keykavous Parang, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The hepatic immunosuppressive activities of two novel dextran prodrugs of methylprednisolone (MP) containing one (DMP1) or five (DMP5) amino acids as linkers were studied in rats. At various times (02 weeks) after intravenous administration of single 5 mg/kg (MP equivalent) doses of each prodrug or MP succinate (MPS), livers were isolated and immunologically stimulated ex vivo with lipopolysaccharide. The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a in the outlet perfusate were then quantitated to assess immune response. Additionally, the concentrations of DMP1, DMP5, and/or MP were measured in the liver. MPS, DMP5, or DMP1 injections caused a maximum of 48.9%, 63.5%, …

Factors Associated With Failed Induction Of Labour In A Secondary Care Hospital, Neelofur Babar Khan, Iffat Ahmed, Ayesha Malik, Lumaan Sheikh

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objective: To assess the factors associated with failed induction of labour (IOL) in a secondary care hospital.
Method: This is a retrospective cross sectional study on women admitted for labour induction in Aga Khan Hospital for women Karimabad from 1st Jan, 2009 to 31st Dec, 2009. Induction was considered successful if the patient delivered vaginally and failed if it ended up in Caesarean Section.
Result: Eighteen percent of our pregnant population who underwent induction of labour failed to deliver vaginally. About 25% of 328 nulliparous women had failed induction. With a Bishop score of <5 in 84.3%. In 28.2% with prolonged latent phase of more than 20 hours in Caesarean section had to be performed.
Conclusion: Nulliparity, poor Bishop score and …

Physical Activity, Sleep Patterns, And Health Outcomes In University Law Enforcement Officers, Nicole C. Koebke

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Research indicates that law enforcement officers (LEOs) have a higher prevalence of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) compared to the general population. Sleep deprivation and physical inactivity have been found to be related to many risk factors for CAD. This cross-sectional study examined the health status and the relationship between sleep and physical activity outcomes versus CAD risk factors among 27 University LEOs. The subjects’ health behaviors, and CAD and metabolic syndrome risk factors were described using basic statistics. Accelerometer derived sleep and physical activity outcomes were correlated to measures of health to identify potential relationships. 33% of LEOs were …

Noninvasive Assessment And Modeling Of Diabetic Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy, Siqi Wang

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Noninvasive assessment of diabetic cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (AN): Cardiac and vascular dysfunctions resulting from AN are complications of diabetes, often undiagnosed. Our objectives were to: 1) determine sympathetic and parasympathetic components of compromised blood pressure regulation in patients with polyneuropathy, and 2) rank noninvasive indexes for their sensitivity in diagnosing AN. Continuous 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG), blood pressure (BP), respiration, regional blood flow and bio-impedance were recorded from 12 able-bodied subjects (AB), 7 diabetics without (D0), 7 with possible (D1) and 8 with definite polyneuropathy (D2), during 10 minutes supine control, 30 minutes 70-degree head-up tilt and 5 minutes supine recovery. …

Blast-Induced Brain Injury: Influence Of Shockwave Components, Dexter V. Reneer

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) has been described as the defining injury of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Previously, most blast injury research has focused on the effects of blast on internal, gas filled organs due to their increased susceptibility. However, due to a change in enemy tactics combined with better armor and front-line medical care, bTBI has become one of the most common injuries due to blast. Though there has been a significant amount of research characterizing the brain injury produced by blast, a sound understanding of the contribution of each component of the shockwave to the …

Bi-Lateral Changes To Hippocampal Cholesterol Levels During Epileptogenesis And In Chronic Epilepsy Following Focal-Onset Status Epilepticus In Mice, Steve Meaney, Maura Heverin, Tobias Engel, Eva Jimenez-Mateosa, Reza Al-Aaudia, David Henshall

Articles

Brain cholesterol homeostasis has been shown to be disrupted in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases. Investigations in animal models of seizure-induced brain injury suggest that brain cholesterol levels are altered by prolonged seizures (status epilepticus) and are a feature of the pathophysiology of temporal lobe epilepsy. The present study measured hippocampal sterol levels in a model of unilateral hippocampal injury triggered by focal-onset status epilepticus, and in chronically epileptic mice. Status epilepticus was induced by intra-amygdala microinjection of kainic acid and ipsilateral and contralateral hippocampus analyzed. No significant changes were found for ipsilateral or contralateral hippocampal levels …

Development And Validation Of A Novel Reporter Assay For Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Late Gene Expression, Beatrice Orru, Ciaran Cunniffe, Fergus Ryan, Stefan Schwartz

Articles

To facilitate the investigations of HPV-16 late gene expression HPV-16 reporter plasmids were generated using previously described sub-genomic HPV-16 plasmids, named pBEL and pBELM, that, similar to the full viral genome, produce primarily HPV-16 early mRNAs and very little, if any, late mRNAs in cervical cancer cells. The HPV-16 late L1 gene was replaced by the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene, or green fluorescent protein (GFP), preceded by the poliovirus internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Results show that the reporter genes mimic the expression of L1 from these plasmids. For example, overexpression of adenovirus E4orf4 protein (E4orf4), polypyrimidine tract binding …

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy N. Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva Thompson-Robinson

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose.

Methods: We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed.

Results: Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between 2005 and …

Quantitative Analysis Of Some Important Metals And Metalloids In Tobacco Products By Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (Icp-Ms), Syed Ghulam Musharraf, Muhammad Shoaib, Amna Jabbar Siddiqui, Muhammad Najam-Ul-Haq, Aftab Ahmed

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Large scale usage of tobacco causes a lot of health troubles in human. Various formulations of tobacco are extensively used by the people particularly in developing world. Besides several toxic tobacco constituents some metals and metalloids are also believed to pose health risks. This paper describes inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) quantification of some important metals and metalloids in various brands of smoked, sniffed, dipped and chewed tobacco products.

Results: A microwave-assisted digestion method was used for sample preparation. The method was validated by analyzing a certified reference material. Percentage relative standard deviation (% R.S.D.) between recovered …