Medical Specialties Commons^™

Protocolized Volume De-Resuscitation In Critically Ill Patients, Brittany Dawn Bissell

Theses and Dissertations--Clinical and Translational Science

While early fluid resuscitation may be a necessary component to decrease mortality in the majority of critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit, the benefit of continued administration after the first 24 hours is less clear. Paradoxically, a positive fluid balance secondary to intravenous fluid receipt has been associated with diverse and persistent perpetuating detriment on a multitude of organ systems. Continued clinical harm has been demonstrated on pulmonary and renal function as well as patient outcomes such as rates of mortality and length of stay. Despite the growing body of evidence supporting the potential adverse aspects of …

Changes In Muscle Size, Quality And Power Are Related To Physical Function In Patients With Critical Illness, Kirby Mayer

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) are known to develop significant impairments in physical function. Patients with critical illness suffer up to 30% reductions in muscle size within the first ten days of admission to the ICU. Muscle strength testing, Medical Research Council-sum score, is current gold-standard to diagnosis ICU-acquired weakness and predicts risk of mortality and long-term physical function. Muscle power different from muscle strength in that it accounts for velocity of movement, is potentially a better independent predictor of function that has not been studied in this population. In addition, we hypothesize that muscle size and quality …

Elderly Bleeding Risk Of Direct Oral Anticoagulants In Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Cohort Studies, Jessika Lobraico-Fernandez, Salma Baksh, Eric C. Nemec

Physician Associate Studies Faculty Publications

Introduction The 2014 American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology (ACC)/Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) guidelines recommend anticoagulation to reduce clot formation and the risk of thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation but does not specify guidelines for the elderly population. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are newer US FDA-approved alternatives to warfarin and include dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban. The efficacy of DOACs is heavily researched, but few studies have evaluated their bleeding risk. Objectives This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates which DOAC has the lowest bleeding risk in elderly patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Methods CINAHL and MEDLINE …

Generation, Identification And Characterization Of Novel Monoclonal Antibodies Against Ctla-4, Pd-1 And Btla For The Treatment Of Cancer, Rosabril Acuna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Members of the CD28 co-inhibitory receptor family, Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte- associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), Program death-1 (PD-1) and B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) are type I transmembrane proteins expressed on a variety of immune cells. Co- inhibitory receptors deliver "off" signals that play an important role in down regulating immune cell activation. Manipulation of inhibitory signals have shown to be a powerful strategy in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and various forms of cancer. In fact, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved the use of monoclonal antibodies against CTLA-4 (Ipilimumab) for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, against …

Trypanosoma Cruzi Trypomastigote Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Anchored Mucins And A Synthetic Alpha-Gal-Containing Neoglycoprotein As Potential Biomarkers And Vaccines For Chagas Disease, Igor Leandro Estevao

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected tropical disease that kills or permanently disable thousands of people annually. About 6-8 million people are estimated to be infected worldwide. Although many efforts have been made for the development of an effective immunotherapy, currently there is no vaccine to prevent or treat CD in humans. Despite their toxicity, the two current drugs for CD, benznidazole (BZN) and nifurtimox (NFX), have medium-to-high efficacy in the chronic stage of the disease and could save or improve the lives of thousands of patients. However, negative seroconversion in treated patients, as …

The Copy Number Variation Landscape Of Congenital Anomalies Of The Kidney And Urinary Tract., Miguel Verbitsky, Rik Westland, Alejandra Perez, Krzysztof Kiryluk, Qingxue Liu, Priya Krithivasan, Adele Mitrotti, David A. Fasel, Ekaterina Batourina, Matthew G. Sampson, Monica Bodria, Max Werth, Charlly Kao, Jeremiah Martino, Valentina P. Capone, Asaf Vivante, Shirlee Shril, Byum Hee Kil, Maddalena Marasà, Jun Y. Zhang, Young-Ji Na, Tze Y. Lim, Dina Ahram, Patricia L. Weng, Erin L. Heinzen, Alba Carrea, Giorgio Piaggio, Loreto Gesualdo, Valeria Manca, Giuseppe Masnata, Maddalena Gigante, Daniele Cusi, Claudia Izzi, Francesco Scolari, Joanna A E Van Wijk, Marijan Saraga, Domenico Santoro, Giovanni Conti, Pasquale Zamboli, Hope White, Dorota Drozdz, Katarzyna Zachwieja, Monika Miklaszewska, Marcin Tkaczyk, Daria Tomczyk, Anna Krakowska, Przemyslaw Sikora, Tomasz Jarmoliński, Maria K. Borszewska-Kornacka, Robert Pawluch, Maria Szczepanska, Piotr Adamczyk, Malgorzata Mizerska-Wasiak, Grazyna Krzemien, Agnieszka Szmigielska, Marcin Zaniew, Mark G. Dobson, John M. Darlow, Prem Puri, David E. Barton, Susan L. Furth, Bradley A. Warady, Zoran Gucev, Vladimir J. Lozanovski, Velibor Tasic, Isabella Pisani, Landino Allegri, Lida M. Rodas, Josep M. Campistol, Cécile Jeanpierre, Shumyle Alam, Pasquale Casale, Craig S. Wong, Fangming Lin, Débora M. Miranda, Eduardo A. Oliveira, Ana Cristina Simões-E-Silva, Jonathan M. Barasch, Brynn Levy, Nan Wu, Friedhelm Hildebrandt, Gian Marco Ghiggeri, Anna Latos-Bielenska, Anna Materna-Kiryluk, Feng Zhang, Hakon Hakonarson, Virginia E. Papaioannou, Cathy L. Mendelsohn, Ali G. Gharavi, Simone Sanna-Cherchi

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are a major cause of pediatric kidney failure. We performed a genome-wide analysis of copy number variants (CNVs) in 2,824 cases and 21,498 controls. Affected individuals carried a significant burden of rare exonic (that is, affecting coding regions) CNVs and were enriched for known genomic disorders (GD). Kidney anomaly (KA) cases were most enriched for exonic CNVs, encompassing GD-CNVs and novel deletions; obstructive uropathy (OU) had a lower CNV burden and an intermediate prevalence of GD-CNVs; and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) had the fewest GD-CNVs but was enriched for novel exonic CNVs, …

Digital Monitoring Technologies Could Enhance Tuberculosis Medication Adherence In Uganda: Mixed Methods Study, Angella Musiimenta, Wilson Tumuhimbise, Aaron T. Mugaba, Conrad Muzoora, Mari Armstrong-Hough, David Bangsberg, J. Lucian Davis, Jessica E. Haberer

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Effective administration of tuberculosis therapy remains challenging. The recommended strategy of direct observed therapy is challenging and its implementation has been limited in many settings. Digital adherence technologies could be promising patient-centered strategies for monitoring adherence. However, few quality studies have assessed patients’ experiences with these technologies. Objective: To explore TB patients’ perceptions of a digital adherence intervention composed of a digital adherence monitor and SMS texts. Methods: We purposively sampled TB patients who owned phones, had been taking TB medication for at least a month, and were receiving their treatment from Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. We interviewed 35 …

Kangaroo Mother Care And Traditional Care, Arianna Smola, Kirsten Lawson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Prematurity and low birth weight are leading causes of infant death. Throughout recent years care methods for this population have evolved from incubator care to Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC). The purpose of this systematic review was to answer the following PICO question: in the case of preterm and low birth weight (LBW) infants, how does the technique of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) compare to traditional incubator use, regarding long and short-term outcomes of preterm and LBW infant recovery. Methods of this study included the selection of twenty peer-reviewed articles that studied the effect of incubators and KMC on premature and …

A Poxvirus Pseudokinase Represses Viral Dna Replication Via A Pathway Antagonized By Its Paralog Kinase, Annabel T. Olson, Zhigang Wang, Amber B. Rico, Matthew S. Wiebe

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Poxviruses employ sophisticated, but incompletely understood, signaling pathways that engage cellular defense mechanisms and simultaneously ensure viral factors are modulated properly. For example, the vaccinia B1 protein kinase plays a vital role in inactivating the cellular antiviral factor BAF, and likely orchestrates other pathways as well. In this study, we utilized experimental evolution of a B1 deletion virus to perform an unbiased search for suppressor mutations and identify novel pathways involving B1. After several passages of the ΔB1 virus we observed a robust increase in viral titer of the adapted virus. Interestingly, our characterization of the adapted viruses reveals that …

Persistent Viral Reservoirs In Lymphoid Tissues In Siv-Infected Rhesus Macaques Of Chinese-Origin On Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy, Summer Siddiqui, Stefanie Perez, Yong Gao, Lara Doyle-Meyers, Brian T. Foley, Qingsheng Li, Binhua Ling

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Understanding HIV latent reservoirs in tissues is essential for the development of new strategies targeting these sites for eradication. Here, we assessed the size of latent reservoirs and the source of residual viruses in multiple lymphoid tissues of SIV-infected and fully suppressed rhesus macaques of Chinese-origin (cRMs). Eight cRMs were infected with SIVmac251 and treated with tenofovir and emtricitabine daily for 24 weeks initiated 4 weeks post-infection. Four of the eight animals reached sustained full viral suppression with undetectable viremia. The levels of cell-associated SIV DNA varied in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and multiple lymphoid tissues, but with higher …

Relationship Between The Cervical Microbiome, Hiv Status, And Precancerous Lesions, Cameron Klein, Daniela Gonzalez, Kandali Samwel, Crispin Kahesa, Julius Mwaiselage, Nirosh Aluthge, Samodha Fernando, John T. West, Charles Wood, Peter C. Angeletti

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Nearly all cervical cancers are causally associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). The burden of HPV-associated dysplasias in sub-Saharan Africa is influenced by HIV. To investigate the role of the bacterial microbiome in cervical dysplasia, cytobrush samples were collected directly from cervical lesions of 144 Tanzanian women. The V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and deep sequenced. Alpha diversity metrics (Chao1, PD whole tree, and operational taxonomic unit [OTU] estimates) displayed significantly higher bacterial richness in HIV-positive patients (P = 0.01) than in HIV-negative patients. In HIV-positive patients, there was higher bacterial richness in patients with …

Near-Atomic Structure Of A Giant Virus, Qianglin Fang, Dongjie Zhu, Irina Agarkova, Jagat Adhikari, Thomas Klose, Yue Liu, Zhenguo Chen, Yingyuan Sun, Michael L. Gross, James L. Van Etten, Xinzheng Zhang, Michael G. Rossmann

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Although the nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs) are one of the largest group of viruses that infect many eukaryotic hosts, the near-atomic resolution structures of these viruses have remained unknown. Here we describe a 3.5 Å resolution icosahedrally averaged capsid structure of Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 (PBCV-1). This structure consists of 5040 copies of the major capsid protein, 60 copies of the penton protein and 1800 minor capsid proteins of which there are 13 different types. The minor capsid proteins form a hexagonal network below the outer capsid shell, stabilizing the capsid by binding neighboring capsomers together. The size …

A Single-Cycle Adenovirus Type 7 Vaccine For Prevention Of Acute Respiratory Disease, Brianna L. Bullard, Brigette N. Corder, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Adenovirus type 7 (Ad7) infection is associated with acute respiratory disease (ARD), especially in military recruits living in close quarters. Recently, several outbreaks of Ad7 infections have occurred in civilian populations, with some cases leading to death. However, the current Ad7 vaccine is licensed for use only in military recruits because it utilizes an orally delivered wild type virus which is shed in the stool for 28 days after immunization. This poses a safety risk due to the possibility of virus spread to vulnerable populations. To address the need for a safer Ad7 vaccine for use in civilian populations, we …

A Double Humanized Blt-Mice Model Featuring A Stable Human-Like Gut Microbiome And Human Immune System, Lance Daharsh, Jianshui Zhang, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Qingsheng Li

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Humanized mice (hu-mice) that feature a functional human immune system have fundamentally changed the study of human pathogens and disease. They can be used to model diseases that are otherwise difficult or impossible to study in humans or other animal models. The gut microbiome can have a profound impact on human health and disease. However, the murine gut microbiome is very different than the one found in humans. There is a need for improved pre-clinical hu-mice models that have an engrafted human gut microbiome. Therefore, we created double hu-mice that feature both a human immune system and stable human-like gut …

The Vaccinia Virus (Vacv) B1 And Cellular Vrk2 Kinases Promote Vacv Replication Factory Formation Through Phosphorylation-Dependent Inhibition Of Vacv B12, Annabel T. Olson, Zhigang Wang, Annabel Olson, Alexandria C. Linville, Brianna L. Bullard, Eric A. Weaver, Clinton Jones, Matthew S. Wiebe

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Comparative examination of viral and host protein homologs reveals novel mechanisms governing downstream signaling effectors of both cellular and vi- ral origin. The vaccinia virus B1 protein kinase is involved in promoting multiple facets of the virus life cycle and is a homolog of three conserved cellular enzymes called vaccinia virus-related kinases (VRKs). Recent evidence indicates that B1 and VRK2 mediate a com- mon pathway that is largely uncharacterized but appears independent of previous VRK substrates. Interestingly, separate studies described a novel role for B1 in inhibiting vac- cinia virus protein B12, which otherwise impedes an early event in the …

Successful Brace Treatment Of Pectus Carinatum In Osteogenesis Imperfecta Using The Dynamic Compression System., Beth A. Orrick, Amy L. Pierce, Charles L. Snyder, Uri S. Alon

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder of collagen resulting in a "fragile" skeleton with increased fracture risk and other complications, dependent on the specific variant. Pectus deformities of the chest wall, while not common, can be associated with OI. The use of a pectus carinatum brace in a patient with OI poses unknown risks for fractures and adverse treatment outcomes. We successfully applied external compression bracing using the dynamic compression system to one such patient. This case illustrates the ability to treat an OI patient with pectus carinatum using a nonsurgical brace, without complications, resulting in an excellent cosmetic …

An Open-Label, Single-Dose Study To Evaluate The Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, And Pharmacodynamics Of Cinacalcet In Pediatric Subjects Aged 28 Days To < 6 Years With Chronic Kidney Disease Receiving Dialysis., Winnie Y. Sohn, Anthony A. Portale, Isidro B. Salusky, Hao Zhang, Lucy L. Yan, Bella Ertik, Shahnaz Shahinfar, Edward Lee, Bastian Dehmel, Bradley A. Warady

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Calcimimetics, shown to control biochemical parameters of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), have well-established safety and pharmacokinetic profiles in adult end-stage renal disease subjects treated with dialysis; however, such studies are limited in pediatric subjects.

METHODS: In this study, the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) of cinacalcet were evaluated in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and SHPT receiving dialysis. Twelve subjects received a single dose of cinacalcet (0.25 mg/kg) orally or by nasogastric or gastric tube. Subjects were randomized to one of two parathyroid hormone (PTH) and serum calcium sampling sequences: [(1) 2, 8, 48 h; or (2) …

Genomic Prediction Of Relapse In Recipients Of Allogeneic Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation., J Ritari, K Hyvärinen, S Koskela, M Itälä-Remes, R Niittyvuopio, A Nihtinen, U Salmenniemi, M Putkonen, L Volin, T Kwan, T Pastinen, J Partanen

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation currently represents the primary potentially curative treatment for cancers of the blood and bone marrow. While relapse occurs in approximately 30% of patients, few risk-modifying genetic variants have been identified. The present study evaluates the predictive potential of patient genetics on relapse risk in a genome-wide manner. We studied 151 graft recipients with HLA-matched sibling donors by sequencing the whole-exome, active immunoregulatory regions, and the full MHC region. To assess the predictive capability and contributions of SNPs and INDELs, we employed machine learning and a feature selection approach in a cross-validation framework to discover the …

The Role Of Botulinum Toxin Type-A In Spasticity: Research Trends From A Bibliometric Analysis, Christine A Liang, Jing Liu, Jaiyeola Thomas Ogunniyi, Hui Zhu, Songlin Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIMS: Since the six-tier Milan salivary gland classification has been introduced, there are very limited studies in literature reporting the risk stratification of the Milan classification.

METHODS: We retrospectively classified a total of 285 salivary gland cytology cases into Milan reporting categories; there were 23 (8.1%) nondiagnostic, 48 (16.8%) nonneoplastic, 19 (6.7%) atypia of undetermined significance (AUS), 138 (48.4%) benign neoplasm, 13 (4.6%) neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential (NUMP), 8 (2.8%) suspicious for malignancy, and 36 (12.6%) malignant. Almost 110 cases (38.6%) had surgical follow-up resections.

RESULTS: The overall risk for malignancy (ROM) was 12.5% for AUS, 3.2% for benign …

Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapeutic Delivery: Translational Challenges To Clinical Application, Henry Caplan, Scott D Olson, Akshita Kumar, Mitchell George, Karthik S Prabhakara, Pamela Wenzel, Supinder Bedi, Naama E Toledano-Furman, Fabio Triolo, Julian Kamhieh-Milz, Guido Moll, Charles S Cox

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

For several decades, multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been extensively studied for their therapeutic potential across a wide range of diseases. In the preclinical setting, MSCs demonstrate consistent ability to promote tissue healing, down-regulate excessive inflammation and improve outcomes in animal models. Several proposed mechanisms of action have been posited and demonstrated across an array of in vitro models. However, translation into clinical practice has proven considerably more difficult. A number of prominent well-funded late-phase clinical trials have failed, thus calling out for new efforts to optimize product delivery in the clinical setting. In this review, we discuss novel …

Melatonin Enhances Sorafenib-Induced Cytotoxicity In Flt3-Itd Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells By Redox Modification, Tian Tian, Jiajun Li, Yizhuo Li, Yun-Xin Lu, Yan-Lai Tang, Hua Wang, Fufu Zheng, Dingbo Shi, Qian Long, Miao Chen, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Yumin Hu, Lijun Qin, Wuguo Deng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with an internal tandem duplication in Fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3-ITD) is identified as a subgroup with poor outcome and intrinsic resistance to chemotherapy and therefore urgent need for development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Methods: The antitumor effects of melatonin alone or combined with sorafenib were evaluated via flow cytometry and immunoblotting assays in FLT-ITD AML cells. Also, the ex vivo and in vivo models were used to test the synergistic effects of melatonin and sorafenib against leukemia with FLT3/ITD mutation.

Results: Our study shows for the first time that melatonin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis …

ผลของการฝึกออกกำลังกายที่ความหนักระดับปานกลางต่อการออกซิเดชันของไขมันในขณะพักฟื้นหลังออกกำลังกายในอุณหภูมิร้อนและเย็นของหญิงอ้วน, ปริมล แก้วผลึก

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การออกกำลังกายเป็นวิธีที่มีประสิทธิภาพในการลดไขมันและน้ำหนักสำหรับคนอ้วน การเพิ่มการออกซิเดชันของไขมันขณะพักฟื้นภายหลังเสร็จสิ้นการออกกำลังกายเป็นประเด็นที่น่าสนใจ และมีงานวิจัยที่ศึกษาเกี่ยวกับอุณหภูมิแวดล้อมที่ส่งผลต่อการออกซิเดชันของไขมันขณะพักฟื้นภายหลังการออกกำลังกายเพียงหนึ่งครั้งในหญิงอ้วน แต่ยังไม่มีการศึกษาในหญิงอ้วนที่มีการฝึกออกกำลังกาย งานวิจัยนี้ได้ทำการศึกษาในเพศหญิงที่มีภาวะอ้วนจำนวน 16 คน อายุ 18-50 ปี มีดัชนีมวลกาย 27.5-40 กิโลกรัมต่อเมตร2 มีประจำเดือนปกติ โดยทำการศึกษาในช่วง follicular phase ของประจำเดือนเท่านั้น ผู้เข้าร่วมวิจัยควบคุมอาหารเป็นเวลา 1 เดือน และเข้าโปรแกรมการฝึกออกกำลังกายบนลู่วิ่งสายพานที่ความหนักระดับปานกลาง (50-60% heart rate reserve (HRR) ระยะเวลา 30-60 นาที) เป็นเวลา 1 เดือน จากนั้นทำการทดสอบการออกกำลังกาย 2 ครั้ง ที่ความหนัก 60%HRR เวลา 60 นาที และพักฟื้นนาน 60 นาที ในอุณหภูมิร้อน (HT; 31-32°C) ครั้งหนึ่ง และเย็น (CT; 22-23°C) อีกครั้งหนึ่ง ตามลำดับที่สุ่มไว้ มีการประเมินการออกซิเดชันของซับสเตรท และการใช้พลังงานรวมตลอดการทดสอบ ผลการศึกษาพบว่าขณะพักฟื้นในที่เย็นมีการออกซิเดชันของไขมันสูงกว่าในที่ร้อนอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ (CT; 56.0 ± 24.6 mg.kg-1.h-1 vs. HT; 39.7 ± 27.5 mg.kg-1.h-1, p < 0.001) และขณะพักฟื้นในที่ร้อนมีการออกซิเดชันของคาร์โบไฮเดรทมากกว่าในที่เย็นอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ (HT; 104.0 ± 46.9 mg.kg-1.h-1 vs. CT; 64.6 ± 40.5 mg.kg-1.h-1, p < 0.001) ทั้งนี้ไม่พบความแตกต่างของการใช้พลังงานรวมขณะพักฟื้นในทั้งสองอุณหภูมิ (HT; 70.5 ± 19.6 kcal.h-1 vs. CT; 71.3 ± 13.7 kcal.h-1, p = 0.846) สรุปว่าปริมาณการออกซิเดชันของไขมันขณะพักฟื้นในอุณหภูมิเย็นมากกว่าในอุณหภูมิร้อน ดังนั้นการพักฟื้นในอุณหภูมิเย็นภายหลังการฝึกออกกำลังกายในระดับปานกลาง จึงควรเป็นทางเลือกที่ดีในการลดไขมันและน้ำหนักสำหรับคนอ้วน

Diuretic, Natriuretic, And Vasodepressor Activity Of A Lipid Fraction Enhanced In Medium Of Cultured Mouse Medullary Interstitial Cells By A Selective Faah Inhibitor, Zdravka P. Daneva

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between the endocannabinoid system in the renal medulla and the long-term regulation of blood pressure is not well understood. To investigate the possible role of the endocannabinoid system in renomedullary interstitial cells, mouse medullary interstitial cells (MMICs) were obtained, cultured and characterized for their responses to treatment with a selective inhibitor of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), PF-3845. Treatment of MMICs with PF-3845 increased cytoplasmic lipid granules detected by Sudan Black B staining and multilamellar bodies identified by transmission electron microscopy. HPLC analyses of lipid extracts of MMIC culture medium revealed a 205nm-absorbing peak that showed responsiveness to …

A Systematic Review Of Observational Studies, Demonstrating Smoking Among School Going Adolescents, Shafquat Rozi, Gillian Lancaster, Sadia Mahmud, Zahid Ahmad Butt, Talat Roome, Nida Zahid

Community Health Sciences

Objective: To characterize the methods of design and analysis currently adopted in survey research of school-based observational studies for smoking, and to identify the common pitfalls made by researchers.
Methods: The systematic review was conducted in 2009 and consisted of observational studies in school settings published between January 2005 and January 2009. Smoking status was the main outcome of interest. Following Cochrane style, five steps were followed: setting selection criteria for studies and conducting a literature search; review of abstracts; review of complete articles; data extraction and quality assessment of included studies; and, finally, synthesis of studies.
Results: Of the …

A Proof-Of-Mechanism Study To Test Effects Of The Nmda Receptor Antagonist Lanicemine On Behavioral Sensitization In Individuals With Symptoms Of Ptsd, Marijn Lijffijt, Charles E Green, Nicholas Balderston, Tabish Iqbal, Megan Atkinson, Brittany Vo-Le, Bylinda Vo-Le, Brittany O'Brien, Christian Grillon, Alan C Swann, Sanjay J Mathew

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a heightened sensitivity to subsequent stressors, addictive drugs, and symptom recurrence, a form of behavioral sensitization. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are involved in the establishment and activation of sensitized behavior.

Objective: We describe a protocol of a randomized placebo-controlled Phase 1b proof-of-mechanism trial to examine target engagement, safety, tolerability, and possible efficacy of the NMDAR antagonist lanicemine in individuals with symptoms of PTSD (Clinician Administered PTSD Scale [CAPS-5] score ≥ 25) and evidence of behavioral sensitization measured as enhanced anxiety-potentiated startle (APS; T-score ≥ 2.8).

Methods: Subjects (n = 24; age range 21–65) …

Deep Learning Based Topology Guaranteed Surface And Mme Segmentation Of Multiple Sclerosis Subjects From Retinal Oct, Yufan He, Aaron Carass, Yihao Liu, Bruno Jedynak, Sharon D. Solomon, Shiv Saidha, Peter A. Calabresi, Jerry L. Prince

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive imaging modality that can be used to obtain depth images of the retina. Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have thinning retinal nerve fiber and ganglion cell layers, and approximately 5% of MS patients will develop microcystic macular edema (MME) within the retina. Segmentation of both the retinal layers and MME can provide important information to help monitor MS progression. Graph-based segmentation with machine learning preprocessing is the leading method for retinal layer segmentation, providing accurate surface delineations with the correct topological ordering. However, graph methods are time-consuming and they do not optimally incorporate …

Ribonucleotide Reductase Inhibitor 3-Ap Induces Oncogenic Virus Infected Cell Death And Represses Tumor Growth, Lu Dai, Jungang Chen, Yueyu Cao, Luis Del Valle, Zhiqiang Qin

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent of several human malignancies, particularly Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS), which preferentially arise in immunocompromised patients such as HIV+ subpopulation while still lacking of effective therapeutic options. We recently found that the ribonucleotide reductase (RR) subunit M2 is potentially regulated by the key oncogenic HGF/c-MET pathway in KSHV-related lymphoma cells. One of RR inhibitor, 3-aminopyridine-2-carboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (3-AP) effectively induced apoptosis of KSHV+ lymphomas and suppressed tumor progression . In the current study, we found that 3-AP treatment selectively inhibited the proliferation of KSHV-infected endothelial cells, the major cellular components of KS, through inducing DNA …

Cardiac Outcomes After Successful Kidney Transplantation, Ahmed Hassan, Hala I. Mohamed, Hala M. Allam, Mohamed K. Mohamed, Yasser A. Hendy

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of renal transplantation on cardiac function and morphology in patients with ESRD on regular hemodialysis at the post-transplant period. Background End stage renal disease (ESRD) is considered an overall general health issue related to increased morbidity & mortality. The mortality rate among cases with ESRD who have been experiencing dialysis has been approximately seven times higher than for comparable cases in the general population and has been to a great extent related to cardiovascular causes. Cardiac diseases have been common in cases with chronic kidney disease (CKD). About 75% …

Hepatic Encephalopathy In Patients With Diabetes Mellitus, El-Saied Shaheen, Helmy M. Elshazly, Noha Abd Allah

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background and aim of the work Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a complex frequent neuropsychiatric manifestation of chronic and acute liver disease with disturbance of psychomotor, intellectual, cognitive, behavioral, and fine motor function of varying severity. Diabetes mellitus (DM) exacerbates progression of hepatic fibrosis. Recently, a meta-analysis study concluded that type 2 DM was associated with relative 1.5-fold increased risk for clinically defined Alzheimer disease and 2.5 for vascular dementia compared with nondiabetic individuals; furthermore, one recent prospective study showed that elevated blood glucose in the absence of DM increased the risk of dementia. Given the high prevalence of DM in …

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease And Outcomes In Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome, El-Saied Shaheen

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background According to the results of longitudinal cohort study, patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were found to have a higher mortality owing to coronary heart disease than the liver cirrhosis. Patients with NAFLD may also have a higher prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis independent of established cardiovascular risk factor. Patients and methods This study was performed at Shebin El-Kom Teaching Hospital from January 2018 to March 2018. All consecutive patients with nonfatal acute coronary syndrome (ACS) admitted were included in this study. Patients with excessive alcohol consumption, patients with established cirrhosis, and patients with identified risk factors for liver …