Medical Specialties Commons^™

Taurine: A Potential Ergogenic Aid For Preventing Muscle Damage And Protein Catabolism And Decreasing Oxidative Stress Produced By Endurance Exercise, Flávia G. De Carvalho, Bryan S. M. Galan, Priscila C. Santos, Kelly Pritchett, Karina Pfrimer, Eduardo Ferriolli, Marcelo Papoti, Júlio S. Marchini, Ellen C. De Freitas

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of taurine and chocolate milk supplementation on oxidative stress and protein metabolism markers, and aerobic parameters in triathletes.

Methods: A double-blind, crossover study was conducted with 10 male triathletes, aged 30.9 ± 1.3 year, height 1.79 ± 0.01 m and body weight 77.45 ± 2.4 kg. Three grams of taurine and 400 ml of chocolate milk (TAUchoc), or a placebo (chocolate milk) (CHOC) was ingested post exercise for 8 weeks. Oxidative stress marker levels, and 24 h urinary nitrogen, creatinine, and urea excretion were measured before and after 8 weeks …

Chronic Hypobaric Hypoxia Modulates Primary Cilia Differently In Adult And Fetal Ovine Kidneys, Kiumars Shamloo, Juan Chen, Jasmine Sardar, Rinzhin T. Sherpa, Rajasekharreddy Pala, Kimberly F. Atkinson, William J. Pearce, Lubo Zhang, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Hypoxic environments at high altitude have significant effects on kidney injury. Following injury, renal primary cilia display length alterations. Primary cilia are mechanosensory organelles that regulate tubular architecture. The effect of hypoxia on cilia length is still controversial in cultured cells, and no corresponding in vivo study exists. Using fetal and adult sheep, we here study the effect of chronic hypobaric hypoxia on the renal injury, intracellular calcium signaling and the relationship between cilia length and cilia function. Our results show that although long-term hypoxia induces renal fibrosis in both fetal and adult kidneys, fetal kidneys are more susceptible to …

Effect Of Levodopa-Carbidopa Intestinal Gel On Non-Motor Symptoms In Patients With Advanced Parkinson's Disease, David G. Standaert, Ramon L. Rodriguez, John T. Slevin, Michael Lobatz, Susan Eaton, Krai Chatamra, Maurizio F. Facheris, Coleen Hall, Kavita Sail, Yash J. Jalundhwala, Janet Benesh

Neurology Faculty Publications

Background: Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG; carbidopa-levodopa enteral suspension in the United States), delivered via percutaneous gastrojejunostomy (PEG-J) and titrated in the inpatient setting, is an established treatment option for advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with motor fluctuations. However, long-term prospective data on the efficacy of LCIG on non-motor symptoms and the safety of outpatient titration are limited.

Methods: In this 60-week, open-label phase 3b study, LCIG titration was initiated in an outpatient setting following PEG-J placement in PD patients. The efficacy of LCIG on motor and non-motor symptoms, quality of life, and safety was assessed.

Results: Thirty-nine patients were enrolled …

Characterization Of Different Molecular Markers For Identification Of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhi In Pakistani Population, Faizan Muttiullah, Fida Muhammad Khan, Fakhar-I- Abbas, Sabiha Shamim

Journal of Bioresource Management

Typhoid is caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi that is usually diagnosed by using serologic and immuno-chromatographic techniques in developing counties including Pakistan, which is thought to be an unreliable diagnostic method. For accurate diagnosis we used molecular techniques to amplify 204 bp StyR-36 and 498 bp flagellin gene for the identification of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. This study was done on 58 individuals diagnosed positive of typhoid via serologic tests and 50 healthy individuals as a control group. Success rate of amplification for flagellin gene was 77.58% while that for StyR-36 gene was 68.97% showing that flagellin gene primer …

Use Of Dark Chocolate For Diabetic Patients: A Review Of The Literature And Current Evidence, Syed Raza Shah, Richard Alweis, Najla Issa Najim, Amin Muhammad Dharani, Muhammad Ahmed Jangda, Maira Shahid, Ahmed Nabeel Kazi, Syed Arbab Shah

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Dietary changes are a major lifestyle factor that can influence the progression of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Recently, flavanols, a subgroup of plant-derived phytochemicals called flavonoids, have gained increasing attention, due to studies showing an inverse correlation between dietary intake of flavanols and incidence of diabetes. Flavanoids in the cocoa plant may ameliorate insulin resistance by improving endothelial function, altering glucose metabolism, and reducing oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been proposed as the main culprit for insulin resistance. The well-established effects of cocoa on endothelial function also points to a possible effect on insulin sensitivity. The relationship between insulin …

Prevalence Of Kaposi’S Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus In Uygur And Han Populations From The Urumqi And Kashgar Regions Of Xinjiang, China, Jun Zheng, Yang Yang, Meng Cui, Zhan-Jun Shu, Li-Li Han, Zhen-Qiu Liu, Charles Wood, Tiejun Zhang, Yan Zeng

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the infectious etiologic agent associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), primary effusion lymphoma, and multicentric Castleman disease. It has been shown that high KSHV prevalence and high incidence of both classic KS and AIDSassociated KS are found mostly among people of Uygur ethnicity in Xinjiang, while people of Han ethnicity in Xinjiang have a higher KSHV seroprevalence than those of other Han populations in mainland China. However, it is still unclear why there is such geographical and population variation in KSHV distribution in China. In this work, we focused on the populations in the Kashgar region …

Evaluation Of Xpert Mtb/Rif Testing For Rapid Diagnosis Of Childhood Pulmonary Tuberculosis In Children By Xpert Mtb/Rif Testing Of Stool Samples In A Low Resource Setting, Zahra Hasan, Sadia Shakoor, Fehmina Arif, Aisha Mehnaz, Alnoor Akber, Marium Haider, Akber Kanji, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective: Children with tuberculosis (TB) remain underdiagnosed due to difculty in testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection. We evaluated the Xpert MTB/RIF assay for respiratory and stool testing in children for pulmonary TB through a cross-sectional study at tertiary care facilities in Karachi, Pakistan. Fifty children aged 0–15 years screened by a modifed Kenneth-Jones (KJ) score were included. Mycobacterial culture of respiratory samples was the microbiological standard against stool Xpert TB results. All positive TB cases were compared against a treatment response standard (TRS).
/="/">Results: Twelve study subjects were diagnosed by Xpert TB and nine by MTB culture. Compared …

Long-Term Impact Of Changing Childhood Malnutrition On Rotavirus Diarrhoea: Two Decades Of Adjusted Association With Climate And Socio-Demographic Factors From Urban Bangladesh, Sumon Kumar Das, Mohammod Jobayer Chisti, Mohammad Habibur Rahman Sarker, Jui Das, Shawnawaz Ahmed, K. M. Shahunja, Shamsun Nahar, Nora Gibbons, Tahmeed Ahmed, Abu Syed Golam Faruque, Mustafizur Rahman, George J. Fuchs Iii, Abdullah Al Mamun, Peter John Baker

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background

There is strong association between childhood rotavirus, diarrhoea, climate factors and malnutrition. Conversely, a significant nutritional transition (reduced under-nutrition) with a concurrent increasing trend of rotavirus infection in last decade was also observed among under 5 children, especially in developing countries including Bangladesh. Considering the pathophysiology of rotavirus, there might be an interaction of this nutrition transition which plays a pivotal role in increasing rotavirus infection in addition to climate and other man-made factors in urban areas such as Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Methods

Relevant monthly data from 1993–2012 were extracted from the archive of the Diarrhoeal Disease Surveillance System of …

Shopping Pattern And Food Purchase Differences Among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) Households And Non-Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households In The United States, Alison A. Gustafson

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Dusquetide: Reduction In Oral Mucositis Associated With Enduring Ancillary Benefits In Tumor Resolution And Decreased Mortality In Head And Neck Cancer Patients, Mahesh Kudrimoti, Amarinthia Curtis, Samar Azawi, Francis Worden, Sanford Katz, Douglas Adkins, Marcelo Bonomi, Zack Scott, Jenna Elder, Stephen T. Sonis, Richard Straube, Oreola Donini

Radiation Medicine Faculty Publications

Innate immunity is a key component in the pathogenesis of oral mucositis, a universal toxicity of chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Dusquetide, a novel Innate Defense Regulator, has demonstrated both nonclinical and clinical efficacy in ameliorating severe oral mucositis (SOM). Long term follow-up studies from the Phase 2 clinical study evaluating dusquetide as a treatment for SOM in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients receiving CRT have now been completed. Extended analysis indicates that dusquetide therapy was well-tolerated and did not contribute to increased infection, tumor growth or mortality. Potential ancillary benefits of duquetide therapy were also identified.

Probing The Metabolic Phenotype Of Breast Cancer Cells By Multiple Tracer Stable Isotope Resolved Metabolomics, Andrew N. Lane, Julie Tan, Yali Wang, Jun Yan, Richard M. Higashi, Teresa W. -M. Fan

Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Breast cancers vary by their origin and specific set of genetic lesions, which gives rise to distinct phenotypes and differential response to targeted and untargeted chemotherapies. To explore the functional differences of different breast cell types, we performed Stable Isotope Resolved Metabolomics (SIRM) studies of one primary breast (HMEC) and three breast cancer cells (MCF-7, MDAMB-231, and ZR75-1) having distinct genotypes and growth characteristics, using ¹³C₆-glucose, ¹³C-1+2-glucose, ¹³C₅,¹⁵N₂-Gln, ¹³C₃-glycerol, and ¹³C₈-octanoate as tracers. These tracers were designed to probe the central energy producing …

Multimodality Therapy Improves Survival In Intramedullary Spinal Cord Metastasis Of Lung Primary, Hayder Saeed, Reema Patel, Jigisha Thakkar, Lames Hamoodi, Li Chen, John L. Villano

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Most metastatic spinal cord lesions are located either in the intradural, extramedullary, or in the epidural compartments. Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) is a rare central nervous system spread of cancer. The aim of this report was to evaluate ISCM in the published literature.

Methods: A literature review of PubMed from 1960 to 2016 was undertaken for the publications having demographic, clinical, histological, and outcome data.

Results: A total of 59 relevant papers were identified, showing 128 cases of intramedullary metastasis from lung cancer. The incidence of lung cancer as the primary malignancy with intramedullary metastasis was 56%. The …

Effect Of Extracellular Survivin And Lymphoma Exosomes On Natural Killer Cells, Heather R. Ferguson Bennit

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Tumors alter their microenvironment to promote survival using methods such as angiogenesis promotion, growth signals, and immune suppression. The immune system becomes unresponsive to transformed neoplastic cells through a variety of methods including T cell suppression, increased myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and reduced natural killer (NK) cell activity. NK cells have inherent killing capabilities and thus are among the first responders in recognizing and destroying abnormal cells. However, many types of cancers inhibit the surveillance and cytotoxic abilities of NK cells by releasing exosomes, vesicles that can modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) and intercellular communication for the purpose of enhancing …

Cross-Reactive Immunity To Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus And Its Contribution To Protection, Ignacio Correas

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Due to the vast geographical distribution and significant economic losses generated, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) can be considered the most important swine pathogen of contemporary times. Current control and eradication strategies against PRRSV have difficulty succeeding because of their complex nature and the absence of an effective vaccine. A major obstacle for PRRSV vaccine development is the broad heterogeneity of the virus, both at the genetic and antigenic level, its rapid evolution, and an incomplete knowledge of the immune responses responsible for clearing the virus from the host. Specifically, how known correlates of protection against PRRSV—neutralizing antibodies …

Brain Injury-Induced Synaptic Reorganization In Hilar Inhibitory Neurons Is Differentially Suppressed By Rapamycin, Corwin R. Butler, Jeffery A. Boychuk, Bret N. Smith

Physiology Faculty Publications

Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), treatment with rapamycin suppresses mammalian (mechanistic) target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity and specific components of hippocampal synaptic reorganization associated with altered cortical excitability and seizure susceptibility. Reemergence of seizures after cessation of rapamycin treatment suggests, however, an incomplete suppression of epileptogenesis. Hilar inhibitory interneurons regulate dentate granule cell (DGC) activity, and de novo synaptic input from both DGCs and CA3 pyramidal cells after TBI increases their excitability but effects of rapamycin treatment on the injury-induced plasticity of interneurons is only partially described. Using transgenic mice in which enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) is expressed in …

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis In A Patient With Undiagnosed Factor Vii Deficiency, Hira Qadir, Anila Rashid, Salman Naseem Adil

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Factor VII (FVII) deficiency is one of the rare inherited bleeding disorders. Thrombosis has been occasionally described in inherited FVII deficiency. Here, we report a young female with undiagnosed FVII deficiency who presented with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). Oral contraceptive pill was found to be prothrombotic risk factor. The CVSToccurred in spite of the congenital FVII deficiency indicating that no definitive antithrombotic protection is assured by this defect. Low molecular weight heparin and anti-Xa assay were found to be safe choice of anticoagulation and monitoring, respectively, in this patient

Readiness For Antimicrobial Resistance (Amr) Surveillance In Pakistan; A Model For Laboratory Strengthening, Dania Khalid Saeed, Rumina Hasan, Mahwish Naim, Afia Zafar, Erum Khan, Kauser Jabeen, Seema Irfan, Imran Ahmed Haq, Mohammad Zeeshan, Zabin Wajidali, Joveria Farooqi, Sadia Shakoor, Abdul Chagla, Jason Rao

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Limited capacity of laboratories for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) presents a critical diagnostic bottleneck in resource limited countries. This paper aims to identify such gaps and to explore whether laboratory networks could contribute towards improving AST in low resource settings.
Methods: A self-assessment tool to assess antimicrobial susceptibility testing capacity was administered as a pre-workshop activity to participants from 30 microbiology laboratories in 3 cities in Pakistan. Data from public and private laboratories was analyzed and capacity of each scored in percentage terms. Laboratories from Karachi were invited to join a support network. A cohort of five laboratories that …

Readiness For Antimicrobial Resistance (Amr) Surveillance In Pakistan; A Model For Laboratory Strengthening, Dania Khalid Saeed, Rumina Hasan, Mahwish Naim, Afia Zafar, Erum Khan, Kauser Jabeen, Seema Irfan, Imran Ahmed Haq, Mohammad Zeeshan, Zabin Wajidali, Joveria Farooqi, Sadia Shakoor, Abdul Chagla, Jason Rao

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Limited capacity of laboratories for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) presents a critical diagnostic bottleneck in resource limited countries. This paper aims to identify such gaps and to explore whether laboratory networks could contribute towards improving AST in low resource settings.
Methods: A self-assessment tool to assess antimicrobial susceptibility testing capacity was administered as a pre-workshop activity to participants from 30 microbiology laboratories in 3 cities in Pakistan. Data from public and private laboratories was analyzed and capacity of each scored in percentage terms. Laboratories from Karachi were invited to join a support network. A cohort of five laboratories that …

Principal Component Regression Analysis Of Nutrition Factors And Physical Activities With Diabetes, Ke-Sheng Wang, Ying Lu, Xin Xie, Shaoqing Gong, Chun Xu, Zhanxin Sha

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

The associations of nutrition factors and physical activities with adult diabetes are inconsistent; while most of these factors are inter correlated. The aims of this study are to overcome the disturbance of the multicollinearity of the risk factors and examine the associations of these factors with diabetes using the principal component analysis (PCA) and regression analysis with principal component scores (PCS). Totally, 659 adults with diabetes and 2827 non-diabetic were selected from the 2012 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 4, Cycle 2). PCA was utilized to deal with multicollinearity of the risk factors. Weighted univariate and multiple logistic regression …

Comprehensive Genomic Profiling In Routine Clinical Practice Leads To A Low Rate Of Benefit From Genotype-Directed Therapy, Talal Hilal, Mary Nakazawa, Jacob Hodskins, John L. Villano, Aju Mathew, Gaurav Goel, Lars M. Wagner, Susanne M. Arnold, Philip Desimone, Lowell B. Anthony, Peter J. Hosein

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background: Describe a single-center real-world experience with comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to identify genotype directed therapy (GDT) options for patients with malignancies refractory to standard treatment options.

Methods: Patients who had CGP by a CLIA-certified laboratory between November 2012 and December 2015 were included. The medical records were analyzed retrospectively after Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. The treating oncologist made the decision to obtain the assay to provide potential therapeutic options. The objectives of this study were to determine the proportion of patients who benefited from GDT, and to identify barriers to receiving GDT.

Results: A total of 125 pediatric …

Oxidative Stress-Induced Jnk/Ap-1 Signaling Is A Major Pathway Involved In Selective Apoptosis Of Myelodysplastic Syndrome Cells By Withaferin-A, Karine Z. Oben, Sara S. Alhakeem, Mary Kathryn Mckenna, Jason A. Brandon, Rajeswaran Mani, Sunil K. Noothi, Jinpeng Liu, Shailaja Akunuru, Sanjit Kumar Dhar, Inder P. Singh, Ying Liang, Chi Wang, Ahmed Abdel-Latif, Harold F. Stills Jr., Daret K. St Clair, Hartmut Geiger, Natarajan Muthusamy, Kaoru Tohyama, Ramesh C. Gupta, Subbarao Bondada

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a diverse group of malignant clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, dysplastic cell morphology in one or more hematopoietic lineages, and a risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Approximately 50% of MDS patients respond to current FDA-approved drug therapies but a majority of responders relapse within 2-3 years. There is therefore a compelling need to identify potential new therapies for MDS treatment. We utilized the MDS-L cell line to investigate the anticancer potential and mechanisms of action of a plant-derived compound, Withaferin A (WFA), in MDS. WFA was potently cytotoxic to …

Anti-Herv-K (Hml-2) Capsid Antibody Responses In Hiv Elite Controllers., Miguel De Mulder, Devi Sengupta, Steven G Deeks, Jeffrey N Martin, Christopher D Pilcher, Frederick M Hecht, Jonah B Sacha, Douglas F Nixon, Henri-Alexandre Michaud

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) comprise approximately 8% of the human genome and while the majority are transcriptionally silent, the most recently integrated HERV, HERV-K (HML-2), remains active. During HIV infection, HERV-K (HML-2) specific mRNA transcripts and viral proteins can be detected. In this study, we aimed to understand the antibody response against HERV-K (HML-2) Gag in the context of HIV-1 infection.

Results

We developed an ELISA assay using either recombinant protein or 164 redundant “15mer” HERV-K (HML-2) Gag peptides to test sera for antibody reactivity. We identified a total of eight potential HERV-K (HML-2) Gag immunogenic domains: two on …

The Effects Of Dance Therapy On Patients With Parkinson’S Disease: An Integrative Literature Review, Jennifer Pence

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive, degenerative disease of the nervous system that affects more than one million Americans. Individuals who have PD generally exhibit bradykinesia, postural instability, shuffling steps and freezing during gait. These impairments in motor function cannot be fully addressed with pharmacological treatment and can eventually become unresponsive to this form of treatment. Dance therapy, on the other hand, is one non-pharmacological method that may prove beneficial for PD. It utilizes motor planning skills, which can lead to an improvement in muscle flexibility and balance. The purpose of the systematic integrative literature review was to …

Autoantibodies As Diagnostic Biomarkers For The Detection And Subtyping Of Multiple Sclerosis, Cassandra Demarshall, Eric Goldwaser, Abhirup Sarkar, George Godsey, Nimish Acharya, Umashanger Thayasivam, Benjamin Belinka, Robert Nagele

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

The goal of this preliminary proof-of-concept study was to use human protein microarrays to identify blood-based autoantibody biomarkers capable of diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS). Using sera from 112 subjects, including 51 MS subjects, autoantibody biomarkers effectively differentiated MS subjects from age- and gender-matched normal and breast cancer controls with 95.0% and 100% overall accuracy, but not from subjects with Parkinson's disease. Autoantibody biomarkers were also useful in distinguishing subjects with the relapsing-remitting form of MS from those with the secondary progressive subtype. These results demonstrate that autoantibodies can be used as noninvasive blood-based biomarkers for the detection and subtyping of …

Linking Kindling To Increased Glutamate Release In The Dentate Gyrus Of The Hippocampus Through The Stxbp5/Tomosyn-1 Gene, Seth R. Batten, Elena A. Matveeva, Sidney W. Whiteheart, Thomas C. Vanaman, Greg A. Gerhardt, John T. Slevin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Introduction: In kindling, repeated electrical stimulation of certain brain areas causes progressive and permanent intensification of epileptiform activity resulting in generalized seizures. We focused on the role(s) of glutamate and a negative regulator of glutamate release, STXBP5/tomosyn-1, in kindling.

Methods: Stimulating electrodes were implanted in the amygdala and progression to two successive Racine stage 5 seizures was measured in wild-type and STXBP5/tomosyn-1^−/− (Tom^−/−) animals. Glutamate release measurements were performed in distinct brain regions using a glutamate-selective microelectrode array (MEA).

Results: Naïve Tom^−/− mice had significant increases in KCl-evoked glutamate release compared to naïve wild type as …

Stress Increases Peripheral Axon Growth And Regeneration Through Glucocorticoid Receptor-Dependent Transcriptional Programs, Jessica K. Lerch, Jessica K. Alexander, Kathryn M. Madalena, Dario Motti, Tam Quach, Akhil Dhamija, Alicia Zha, John C. Gensel, Jeanette Webster Marketon, Vance P. Lemmon, John L. Bixby, Phillip G. Popovich

Physiology Faculty Publications

Stress and glucocorticoid (GC) release are common behavioral and hormonal responses to injury or disease. In the brain, stress/GCs can alter neuron structure and function leading to cognitive impairment. Stress and GCs also exacerbate pain, but whether a corresponding change occurs in structural plasticity of sensory neurons is unknown. Here, we show that in female mice (Mus musculus) basal GC receptor (Nr3c1, also known as GR) expression in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons is 15-fold higher than in neurons in canonical stress-responsive brain regions (M. musculus). In response to stress or GCs, adult …

Abl Kinase Regulation By Braf/Erk And Cooperation With Akt In Melanoma, Aditi Jain, Rakshamani Tripathi, Courtney P. Turpin, Chi Wang, Rina Plattner

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

The melanoma incidence continues to increase, and the disease remains incurable for many due to its metastatic nature and high rate of therapeutic resistance. In particular, melanomas harboring BRAF^V600E and PTEN mutations often are resistant to current therapies, including BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Abl kinases (Abl/Arg) are activated in melanomas and drive progression; however, their mechanism of activation has not been established. Here we elucidate a novel link between BRAF^V600E/ERK signaling and Abl kinases. We demonstrate that BRAF^V600E/ERK play a critical role in binding, phosphorylating and regulating Abl localization and Abl/Arg activation …

Accurate Cytogenetic Biodosimetry Through Automated Dicentric Chromosome Curation And Metaphase Cell Selection, Jin Liu, Yanxin Li, Ruth Wilkins, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Joan H. Knoll, Peter Rogan

Biochemistry Publications

Accurate digital image analysis of abnormal microscopic structures relies on high quality images and on minimizing the rates of false positive (FP) and negative objects in images. Cytogenetic biodosimetry detects dicentric chromosomes (DCs) that arise from exposure to ionizing radiation, and determines radiation dose received based on DC frequency. Improvements in automated DC recognition increase the accuracy of dose estimates by reclassifying FP DCs as monocentric chromosomes or chromosome fragments. We also present image segmentation methods to rank high quality digital metaphase images and eliminate suboptimal metaphase cells. A set of chromosome morphology segmentation methods selectively filtered out FP DCs …

Cardio-Metabolic Benefits Of Plant-Based Diets., Hana Kahleova, Susan Levin, Neal Barnard

Medicine Faculty Publications

Cardio-metabolic disease, namely ischemic heart disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, represent substantial health and economic burdens. Almost one half of cardio-metabolic deaths in the U.S. might be prevented through proper nutrition. Plant-based (vegetarian and vegan) diets are an effective strategy for improving nutrient intake. At the same time, they are associated with decreased all-cause mortality and decreased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease. Evidence suggests that plant-based diets may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease events by an estimated 40% and the risk of cerebral vascular disease events by 29%. These diets also …

Body Size Predicts Cardiac And Vascular Resistance Effects On Men's And Women's Blood Pressure, Joyce M. Evans, Siqi Wang, Christopher Greb, Vladimir Kostas, Charles F. Knapp, Qingguang Zhang, Eric S. Roemmele, Michael B. Stenger, David C. Randall

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Key Points Summary

• We report how blood pressure, cardiac output and vascular resistance are related to height, weight, body surface area (BSA), and body mass index (BMI) in healthy young adults at supine rest and standing.
• Much inter-subject variability in young adult's blood pressure, currently attributed to health status, may actually result from inter-individual body size differences.
• Each cardiovascular variable is linearly related to height, weight and/or BSA (more than to BMI).
• When supine, cardiac output is positively related, while vascular resistance is negatively related, to body size. Upon standing, the change in vascular resistance is positively related to size. …