Medical Specialties Commons^™

Prevalence And Correlates Of Comorbid Depression In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Attending Clinic At Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Alamin Suleiman

Master of Medicine in Family Medicine

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes affects 500,000 people in Kenya and is a single cause of morbidity and mortality. It also co-exists with depression, increasing the disease severity and the likelihood of a lower quality of life. Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to examine the depression prevalence as well as factors associated with depression among patients with Type 2 diabetes attending clinic at Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi (AKUHN). The study also assessed the differences in depression severity with Type 2 diabetes alone and with Type 2 diabetes and other comorbid conditions. Methodology: An analytic cross-sectional methodology was …

Patients Perspective On The Non-Urgent Use Of The Emergency Department In Kenya, Carolyne Robai Matifary

Master of Medicine in Family Medicine

Background: Globally, there is an increasing demand for emergency department (ED) care in many countries accompanied by the dire need to optimize scant resources. Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) is facing a rapid surge in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) compounded by an already prevailing significant problem of communicable diseases and injuries. This has led to increased demand for emergency care expertise owing to acute complications of all these conditions. The impact includes ED overcrowding, increased healthcare costs, extended waiting periods and overstretched essential services. To mitigate this, it is imperative that EDs be utilized appropriately to continue providing quality …

If We Build It They Will Come: Targeting The Immune Response To Breast Cancer., Margaret E Gatti-Mays, Justin M Balko, Sofia R Gameiro, Harry D Bear, Sangeetha Prabhakaran, Jami Fukui, Mary L Disis, Rita Nanda, James L Gulley, Kevin Kalinsky, Houssein Abdul Sater, Joseph A Sparano, David Cescon, David B Page, Heather Mcarthur, Sylvia Adams, Elizabeth A Mittendorf

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Historically, breast cancer tumors have been considered immunologically quiescent, with the majority of tumors demonstrating low lymphocyte infiltration, low mutational burden, and modest objective response rates to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy. Tumor and immunologic profiling has shed light on potential mechanisms of immune evasion in breast cancer, as well as unique aspects of the tumor microenvironment (TME). These include elements associated with antigen processing and presentation as well as immunosuppressive elements, which may be targeted therapeutically. Examples of such therapeutic strategies include efforts to (1) expand effector T-cells, natural killer (NK) cells and immunostimulatory dendritic cells (DCs), (2) improve antigen presentation, and …

Single-Cell Glia And Neuron Gene Expression In The Central Amygdala In Opioid Withdrawal Suggests Inflammation With Correlated Gut Dysbiosis., Sean J O'Sullivan, Evangelia Malahias, James Park, Ankita Srivastava, Beverly A S Reyes, Jon Gorky, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Elisabeth J Van Bockstaele, James S Schwaber

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Drug-seeking in opioid dependence is due in part to the severe negative emotion associated with the withdrawal syndrome. It is well-established that negative emotional states emerge from activity in the amygdala. More recently, gut microflora have been shown to contribute substantially to such emotions. We measured gene expression in single glia and neurons gathered from the amygdala using laser capture microdissection and simultaneously measured gut microflora in morphine-dependent and withdrawn rats to investigate drivers of negative emotion in opioid withdrawal. We found that neuroinflammatory genes, notably

Multicentre Pilot Randomised Clinical Trial Of Early In-Bed Cycle Ergometry With Ventilated Patients., Michelle E Kho, Alexander J Molloy, France J Clarke, Julie C Reid, Margaret S Herridge, Timothy Karachi, Bram Rochwerg, Alison E Fox-Robichaud, Andrew Je Seely, Sunita Mathur, Vincent Lo, Karen Ea Burns, Ian M Ball, Joseph R Pellizzari, Jean-Eric Tarride, Jill C Rudkowski, Karen Koo, Diane Heels-Ansdell, Deborah J Cook

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Introduction: Acute rehabilitation in critically ill patients can improve post-intensive care unit (post-ICU) physical function. In-bed cycling early in a patient's ICU stay is a promising intervention. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of recruitment, intervention delivery and retention in a multi centre randomised clinical trial (RCT) of early in-bed cycling with mechanically ventilated (MV) patients.

Methods: We conducted a pilot RCT conducted in seven Canadian medical-surgical ICUs. We enrolled adults who could ambulate independently before ICU admission, within the first 4 days of invasive MV and first 7 days of ICU admission. Following informed consent, …

Caring For The Care‐Giver: Debriefing Following Intra‐Operative Death, Roy Soto, Julie Kado, Bryan Kerner, Paul O’Leary, Gerald Rosen

Articles

Introduction: Intraoperative death affects a team of individuals, each with different levels of training and experience. Although briefings, time-outs, and debriefings have been well described, it is unclear how often they occur following intraoperative catastrophic events. We utilized an electronic survey to assess the frequency and potential utility of a formal debriefing process following the intraoperative death of a patient, and discuss our findings in light of the mental well-being of perioperative medical personnel. Methods:A 19 question electronic survey was distributed to primary operating room staff in two hospital systems. The survey was designed to identify which OR staff members …

Identification Of Candidate Mirna Biomarkers For Glaucoma, Allyson Hindle, Robrecht Thoonen, Jessica V. Jasien, Robert M. H. Grange, Krishna Amin, Jasen Wise, Mineo Ozaki, Robert Ritch, Rajeev Malhotra, Emmanuel S. Buys

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Purpose: Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness worldwide, often remains undetected until irreversible vision loss has occurred. Treatments focus on lowering intraocular pressure (IOP), the only modifiable and readily measurable risk factor. However, IOP can vary and does not always predict disease progression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are promising biomarkers. They are abundant and stable in biological fluids, including plasma and aqueous humor (AqH). We aimed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in AqH and plasma from glaucoma, exfoliation syndrome (XFS), and control subjects. Methods: Plasma and AqH from two ethnic cohorts were harvested from glaucoma or XFS (often associated with glaucoma, n …

Mitochondrial Superoxide Disrupts The Metabolic And Epigenetic Landscape Of Cd4, Cassandra M. Moshfegh, Christopher W. Collins, Venugopal Gunda, A. Vasanthakumar, J. Z. Cao, Pankaj K. Singh, L. A. Godley, Adam J. Case

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

While the role of mitochondrial metabolism in controlling T-lymphocyte activation and function is becoming more clear, the specifics of how mitochondrial redox signaling contributes to T-lymphocyte regulation remains elusive. Here, we examined the global effects of elevated mitochondrial superoxide (O₂^-) on T-lymphocyte activation using a novel model of inducible manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) knock-out. Loss of MnSOD led to specific increases in mitochondrial O₂^- with no evident changes in hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), peroxynitrite (ONOO^-), or copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) levels. Unexpectedly, both mitochondrial and glycolytic metabolism showed significant reductions …

Metabolic Alterations In Pancreatic Cancer Progression, Enza Vernucci, Jaime Abrego, Venugopal Gunda, Surendra K. Shukla, Aneesha Dasgupta, Vikrant Rai, Nina V. Chaika, Kyla Buettner, Alysha Illies, Fang Yu, Audrey J. Lazenby, Benjamin J. Swanson, Pankaj K. Singh

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the USA. Pancreatic tumors are characterized by enhanced glycolytic metabolism promoted by a hypoxic tumor microenvironment and a resultant acidic milieu. The metabolic reprogramming allows cancer cells to survive hostile microenvironments. Through the analysis of the principal metabolic pathways, we identified the specific metabolites that are altered during pancreatic cancer progression in the spontaneous progression (KPC) mouse model. Genetically engineered mice exhibited metabolic alterations during PanINs formation, even before the tumor development. To account for other cells in the tumor microenvironment and to focus on metabolic adaptations concerning tumorigenic …

Fascin Controls Metastatic Colonization And Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation By Remodeling Mitochondrial Actin Filaments, Shengchen Lin, Chongbiao Huang, Venugopal Gunda, Jianwei Sun, Srikumar P. Chellappan, Zengxun Li, Victoria Izumi, Bin Fang, John Koomen, Pankaj K. Singh, Jihui Hao, Shengyu Yang

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

The deregulation of the actin cytoskeleton has been extensively studied in metastatic dissemination. However, the post-dissemination role of the actin cytoskeleton dysregulation is poorly understood. Here, we report that fascin, an actin-bundling protein, promotes lung cancer metastatic colonization by augmenting metabolic stress resistance and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Fascin is directly recruited to mitochondria under metabolic stress to stabilize mitochondrial actin filaments (mtF-actin). Using unbiased metabolomics and proteomics approaches, we discovered that fascin-mediated mtF-actin remodeling promotes mitochondrial OXPHOS by increasing the biogenesis of respiratory Complex I. Mechanistically, fascin and mtF-actin control the homeostasis of mtDNA to promote mitochondrial OXPHOS. The …

Inhibition Of Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate Synthase Is A Novel Therapeutic Strategy For Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Staci L. Haney, Michelle L. Varney, Yashpal S. Chhonker, Simon Shin, Kamiya Mehla, Ayrianne J. Crawford, Heather Jensen Smith, Lynette M. Smith, Daryl J. Murry, Michael A. Hollingsworth, Sarah A. Holstein

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

Rab proteins play an essential role in regulating intracellular membrane trafficking processes. Rab activity is dependent upon geranylgeranylation, a post-translational modification that involves the addition of 20-carbon isoprenoid chains via the enzyme geranylgeranyl transferase (GGTase) II. We have focused on the development of inhibitors against geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGDPS), which generates the isoprenoid donor (GGPP), as anti-Rab agents. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by abnormal mucin production and these mucins play important roles in tumor development, metastasis and chemo-resistance. We hypothesized that GGDPS inhibitor (GGDPSi) treatment would induce PDAC cell death by disrupting mucin trafficking, thereby inducing the unfolded …

Chronic Post Mastectomy Pain In Adult Female Patients At Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi, Jared Owour Mbete

Master of Medicine in Anaesthesiology

Introduction: Breast cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide among women. The improvement in diagnostic and treatment strategies has led to a larger number of survivors who have breast cancer. However, there are complications attributed to breast cancer treatments, including chronic post mastectomy pain (CPMP). CPMP causes physical, social, emotional and functional disability. Once established, it is difficult to treat and negatively impact quality of life of the affected patients. Despite the big number of patients with breast cancer who undergo mastectomy at AKUHN, the burden of CPMP and factors associated with it remain unknown. Objectives: To …

The Effect Of Saline Flush After Rocuronium Bolus On The Proportion Of Patients With Excellent Intubating Conditions In Adult Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery At Akuh-N, Ian Odari

Master of Medicine in Anaesthesiology

Background: In emergency surgeries requiring endotracheal intubation, the time to effect of neuromuscular blocking drugs is a crucial time in which patients are predisposed to hypoxia and aspiration into the lungs. Various strategies have been undertaken to shorten this time, including the timing and the priming techniques, dose changes and use of a flush following the muscle relaxant. All these methods had positive results but some are associated with side effects. The effectiveness of a muscle relaxant can either be assessed using the train of four or intubating conditions on the Goldberg scale. In this study, the plan is to …

The Effect Of Premedication With Intravenous Lornoxicam On Propofol Injection Pain At Induction Of General Anaesthesia In Adults: A Randomised Placebo-Controlled Trial, Dennis Omari Onyancha

Master of Medicine in Anaesthesiology

Background: Propofol is widely used for the induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia and offers many key attractive pharmacological qualities that make it suitable for these indications. However, pain on injection is one of its major drawbacks and can be very distressing to patients. There is a paucity of studies that have looked at the effect of lornoxicam on propofol injection pain either as a sole intervention or in combination with any other method. Primary objective: To determine whether premedication with intravenous lornoxicam had any effect on the intensity of propofol injection pain at induction of general anaesthesia in adult …

Evaluation Of Plan Quality And Treatment Efficiency For Single-Isocenter/Two-Lesion Lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, Lana Sanford, Janelle A. Molloy, Sameera S. Kumar, Marcus Randall, Ronald C. Mcgarry, Damodar Pokhrel

Radiation Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose/objectives: To evaluate the plan quality and treatment delivery efficiency of single‐isocenter/two‐lesions volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Materials/methods: Eight consecutive patients with two peripherally located early stage nonsmall‐cell‐lung cancer (NSCLC) lung lesions underwent single‐isocenter highly conformal noncoplanar VMAT SBRT treatment in our institution. A single‐isocenter was placed between the two lesions. Doses were 54 or 50 Gy in 3 and 5 fractions respectively. Patients were treated every other day. Plans were calculated in Eclipse with AcurosXB algorithm and normalized to at least 95% of the planning target volume (PTV) receiving 100% of the prescribed …

Prediction Of Cardiovascular Outcomes With Machine Learning Techniques: Application To The Cardiovascular Outcomes In Renal Atherosclerotic Lesions (Coral) Study., Tian Chen, Pamela Brewster, Katherine Tuttle, Lance D Dworkin, William Henrich, Barbara A Greco, Michael Steffes, Sheldon Tobe, Kenneth Jamerson, Karol Pencina, Joseph M Massaro, Ralph B D'Agostino, Donald E Cutlip, Timothy P Murphy, Christopher J Cooper, Joseph I Shapiro

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: Data derived from the Cardiovascular Outcomes in Renal Atherosclerotic Lesions (CORAL) study were analyzed in an effort to employ machine learning methods to predict the composite endpoint described in the original study.

Methods: We identified 573 CORAL subjects with complete baseline data and the presence or absence of a composite endpoint for the study. These data were subjected to several models including a generalized linear (logistic-linear) model, support vector machine, decision tree, feed-forward neural network, and random forest, in an effort to attempt to predict the composite endpoint. The subjects were arbitrarily divided into training and testing subsets according …

Utility Of Point-Of-Care Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Testing For Predicting Diabetic Ketoacidosis In The Pediatric Emergency Department, Michelle Knoll, Kelsee Halpin, Ryan Mcdonough

Posters

The objective of our investigation was to describe the diagnostic characteristics of point-of-care capillary beta-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB) testing to predict diabetic ketoacidosis among pediatric patients presenting with hyperglycemia in the pediatric emergency department.

Minimal Information For Studies Of Extracellular Vesicles 2018 (Misev2018): A Position Statement Of The International Society For Extracellular Vesicles And Update Of The Misev2014 Guidelines, Clotilde Théry, Kenneth W. Witwer, Elena Aikawa, Maria Jose Alcaraz, Johnathon D. Anderson, Ramaroson Andriantsitohaina, Anna Antoniou, Tanina Arab, Fabienne Archer, Georgia K. Atkiin-Smith, D. Craig Ayre, Jean-Marie Bach, Daniel Bachurski, Hossein Baharvand, Leonora Balaj, Shawn Baldacchino, Natalie N. Bauer, Amy A. Baxter, Mary Bebawy, Carla Beckham, Apolonija Bedina Zavec, Abderrahim Benmoussa, Anna C. Berardi, Paolo Bergese, Ewa Bielska, Cherie Blenkiron, Sylwia Bobis-Wozowicz, Eric Boilard, Wilfrid Boireau, Antonella Bongiovanni, Francesc E. Borràs, Steffi Bosch, Chantal M. Boulanger, Xandra Breakefield, Andrew M. Breglio, Meadhbh Á. Brennan, David R. Brigstock, Alain Brisson, Marike L.D. Broekman, Jacqueline F. Bromberg, Paulina Bryl-Górecka, Shilpa Buch, Amy H. Buck, Dylan Burger, Sara Busatto, Dominik Buschmann, Benedetta Bussolati, Edit I. Buzás, James Bryan Byrd, Giovanni Camussi, David R.F. Carter, Sarah Caruso, Lawrence W. Chamley, Yu-Ting Chang, Chichen Chen, Shuai Chen, Lesley Cheng, Andrew R. Chin, Aled Clayton, Stefano P. Clerici, Alex Cocks, Emanuele Cocucci, Robert J. Coffey, Anabela Cordeiro-Da-Silva, Yvonne Couch, Frank A.W. Coumans, Beth Coyle, Rossella Crescitelli, Miria Ferreira Criado, Crislyn D’ Souza-Schorey, Saumya Das, Amrita Datta Chaudhuri, Paola De Candia, Eliezer F. De Santana Junior, Olivier De Wever, Hernando A. Del Portillo, Tanguy Demaret, Sarah Deville, Andrew Devitt, Bert Dhondt, Dolores Di Vizio, Lothar C. Dieterich, Vincenza Dolo, Ana Paula Dominguez Rubio, Massimo Dominici, Mauricio R. Dourado, Tom A.P Driedonks, Filipe V. Duarte, Heather M. Duncan, Ramon M. Eichenberger, Karin Ekström, Samir El Andaloussi, Celine Elie-Caille, Uta Erdbrügger, Juan M. Falcón-Pérez, Farah Fatima, Jason E. Fish, Miguel Flores-Bellver, András Försönits, Annie Frelet-Barrand, Fabia Fricke, Gregor Fuhrmann, Susanne Gabrielsson, Ana Gámez-Valero, Chris Gardiner, Kathrin Gärtner, Raphael Gaudin, Yong Song Gho, Bernd Giebel, Caroline Gilbert, Mario Gimona, Ilaria Giusti, Deborah C.I. Goberdhan, André Görgens, Sharon M. Gorski, David W. Greening, Julia Christina Gross, Alice Gualerzi, Gopal N. Gupta, Dakota Gustafson, Aase Handberg, Reka A. Haraszti, Paul Harrison, Hargita Hegyesi, An Hendrix, Andrew F. Hill, Fred H. Hochberg, Karl F. Hoffmann, Beth Holder, Harry Holthofer, Baharak Hosseinkhani, Guoku Hu, Yiyao Huang, Veronica Huber, Stuart Hunt, Ahmed Gamal-Eldin Ibrahim, Tsuneya Ikezu, Jameel M. Inal, Mustafa Isin, Alena Ivanova, Hannah K. Jackson, Soren Jacobsen, Steven M. Jay, Muthuvel Jayachandran, Guido Jenster, Lanzhou Jiang, Suzanne M. Johnson, Jennifer C. Jones, Ambrose Jong, Tijana Jovanovic-Talisman, Stephanie Jung, Raghu Kalluri, Shin-Ichi Kano, Sukhbir Kaur, Yumi Kawamura, Evan T. Keller, Delaram Khamari, Elena Khomyakova, Anastasia Khvorova, Peter Kierulf, Kwang Pyo Kim, Thomas Kislinger, Mikael Klingeborn, David J. Klinke Ii, Miroslaw Kornek, Maja M. Kosanović, Árpád Ferenc Kovács, Eva-Maria Krämer-Albers, Susanne Krasemann, Mirja Krause, Igor V. Kurochkin, Gina D. Kusuma, Sören Kuypers, Saara Laitinen, Scott M. Langevin, Lucia R. Languino, Joanne Lannigan, Cecilia Lässer, Louise C. Laurent, Gregory Lavieu, Elisa Lázaro-Ibáñez, Soazig Le Lay, Myung-Shin Lee, Yi Xin Fiona Lee, Debora S. Lemos, Metka Lenassi, Aleksandra Leszczynska, Isaac T.S. Li, Ke Liao, Sten F. Libregts, Erzsebet Ligeti, Rebecca Lim, Sai Kiang Lim, Aija Linē, Karen Linnemannstöns, Alicia Llorente, Catherine A. Lombard, Magdalena J. Lorenowicz, Ákos M. Lörincz, Jan Lötvall, Jason Lovett, Michelle C. Lowry, Xavier Loyer, Quan Lu, Barbara Lukomska, Taral R. Lunavat, Sybren L.N. Maas, Harmeet Malhi, Antonio Marcilla, Jacopo Mariani, Javier Mariscal, Elena S. Martens-Uzunova, Lorena Martin-Jaular, M. Carmen Martinez, Vilma Regina Martins, Mathilde Mathieu, Suresh Mathivanan, Marco Maugeri, Lynda K. Mcginnis, Mark J. Mcvey, David G. Meckes, Jr., Katie L. Meehan, Inge Mertens, Valentina R. Minciacchi, Andreas Möller, Malene Møller Jørgensen, Aizea Morales-Kastresana, Jess Morhayim, François Mullier, Maurizio Muraca, Luca Musante, Veronika Mussack, Dillon C. Muth, Kathryn H. Myburgh, Tanbir Najrana, Muhammad Nawaz, Irina Nazarenko, Peter Nejsum, Christian Neri, Tommaso Neri, Rienk Nieuwland, Leonardo Nimrichter, John P. Nolan, Esther N.M. Nolte-’ T Hoen, Nicole Noren Hooten, Lorraine O’Driscoll, Tina O’Grady, Ana O’Loghlen, Takahiro Ochiya, Martin Olivier, Alberto Ortiz, Luis A. Ortiz, Xabier Osteikoetxea, Ole Ostegaard, Matias Ostrowski, Jaesung Park, D. Michiel Pegtel, Hector Peinado, Francesca Perut, Michael W. Pfaffl, Donald G. Phinney, Bartijn C.H. Pieters, Ryan C. Pink, David S. Pisetsky, Elke Pogge Von Strandmann, Iva Polakovicova, Ivan K.H. Poon, Bonita H. Powell, Ilaria Prada, Lynn Pulliam, Peter Quesenberry, Annalisa Radeghieri, Robert L. Raffai, Stefania Raimondo, Janusz Rak, Marcel I. Ramirez, Graça Raposo, Morsi S. Rayyan, Neta Regev-Rudzki, Fran L. Ricklefs, Paul D. Robbins, David D. Roberts, Silvia C. Rodrigues, Eva Rohde, Sophie Rome, Kasper M.A. Rouschop, Aurelia Rughetti, Ashley E. Russell, Paula Saá, Susmita Sahoo, Edison Salas-Huenuleo, Catherine Sánchez, Julie A. Saugstad, Meike J. Saul, Raymond M. Schiffelers, Raphael Schneider, Tine Hiorth Schøyen, Aaron Scott, Eriomina Shahaj, Shivani Sharma, Olga Shatnyeva, Faezeh Shekari, Ganesh Vilas Shelke, Ashok K. Shetty, Kiyotaka Shiba, Pia R-M Siljander, Andreia M. Silva, Agata Skowronek, Orman L. Snyder Ii, Rodrigo Pedro Soares, Barbara W. Sódar, Carolina Soekmadji, Javier Sotillo, Philip D. Stahl, Willem Stoorvogel, Shannon L. Stott, Erwin F. Strasser, Simon Swift, Hidetoshi Tahara, Muneesh Tewari, Kate Timms, Swasti Tiwari, Rochelle Tixeira, Mercedes Tkach, Wei Seong Toh, Richard Tomasini, Ana Claudia Torrecilhas, Juan Pablo Tosar, Vasilis Toxavidis, Lorena Urbanelli, Pieter Vader, Bas W.M. Van Balkom, Susanne G. Van Der Grein, Jan Van Deun, Martijn J.C. Van Herwijnen, Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen, Guillaume Van Niel, Martin E. Van Royen, Andre J. Van Wijnen, M. Helena Vasconcelos, Ivan J. Vechetti Jr., Tiago D. Veit, Laura J. Vella, Émilie Velot, Frederik J. Verweij, Beate Vestad, Jose L. Viñas, Tamás Visnovitz, Krisztina V. Vukman, Jessica Wahlgren, Dionysios C. Watson, Marca H.M. Wauben, Alissa Weaver, Jason P. Webber, Viktoria Weber, Ann M. Wehman, Daniel J. Weiss, Joshua A. Welsh, Sebastian Wendt, Asa M. Wheelock, Zoltán Wiener, Leonie Witte, Joy Wolfram, Angeliki Xagorari, Patricia Xander, Jing Xu, Xiaomei Yan, María Yáñez-Mó, Hang Yin, Yuana Yuana, Valentina Zappulli, Jana Zarubova, Vytautas Žėkas, Jian-Ye Zhang, Zezhou Zhao, Lei Zheng, Alexander R. Zheutlin, Antje M. Zickler, Pascale Zimmermann, Angela M. Zivkovic, Davide Zocco, Ewa K. Zuba-Surma

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications describing physiological and pathological functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a collective term covering various subtypes of cell-released, membranous structures, called exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, apoptotic bodies, and many other names. However, specific issues arise when working with these entities, whose size and amount often make them difficult to obtain as relatively pure preparations, and to characterize properly. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) proposed Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (“MISEV”) guidelines for the field in 2014. We now update these “MISEV2014” guidelines …

Transcriptional Activation Of The Mir-17-92 Cluster Is Involved In The Growth-Promoting Effects Of Myb In Human Ph-Positive Leukemia Cells., Manuela Spagnuolo, Giulia Regazzo, Marco De Dominici, Andrea Sacconi, Andrea Pelosi, Etleva Korita, Francesco Marchesi, Francesco Pisani, Alessandra Magenta, Valentina Lulli, Iole Cordone, Andrea Mengarelli, Sabrina Strano, Giovanni Blandino, Maria G. Rizzo, Bruno Calabretta

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

MicroRNAs, non-coding regulators of gene expression, are likely to function as important downstream effectors of many transcription factors including MYB. Optimal levels of MYB are required for transformation/maintenance of BCR-ABL-expressing cells. We investigated whether MYB silencing modulates microRNA expression in Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) leukemia cells and if MYB-regulated microRNAs are important for the "MYB addiction" of these cells. Thirty-five microRNAs were modulated by MYB silencing in lymphoid and erythromyeloid chronic myeloid leukemia-blast crisis BV173 and K562 cells; 15 of these were concordantly modulated in both lines. We focused on the miR-17-92 cluster because of its oncogenic role in tumors and found …

Pre-Operative Voriconazole In Patients Undergoing Surgery For Central Nervous System Fungal Infections: Special Report, Ghani Haider, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Muhammad Faheem Khan, Muhammad Ehsan Bari, Ather Enam

Section of Neurosurgery

Fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are uncommon. Despite several advancements in diagnosis and treatment of these infections, the mortality rates remain high. The current retrospective study was planned to define the demographic and clinical features of patients with CNS fungal infections. Conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprising CNS fungal infections operated between January 2000 and December 2015. The study analysed whether a short course of pre-operative anti-fungal therapy may improve outcomes in these patients. There were 47 cases confirmed on histopathology and/or microbiology. Outcome measures used were Glasgow coma score (GCS), Glasgow outcome score …

Characterizing Whole Brain Temporal Variation Of Functional Connectivity Via Zero And First Order Derivatives Of Sliding Window Correlations., Flor A Espinoza, Victor M Vergara, Eswar Damaraju, Kyle G Henke, Ashkan Faghiri, Jessica A Turner, Aysenil A Belger, Judith M Ford, Sarah C Mcewen, Daniel H Mathalon, Bryon A Mueller, Steven G Potkin, Adrian Preda, Jatin G Vaidya, Theo G M Van Erp, Vince D Calhoun

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Brain functional connectivity has been shown to change over time during resting state fMRI experiments. Close examination of temporal changes have revealed a small set of whole-brain connectivity patterns called dynamic states. Dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) studies have demonstrated that it is possible to replicate the dynamic states across several resting state experiments. However, estimation of states and their temporal dynamicity still suffers from noisy and imperfect estimations. In regular dFNC implementations, states are estimated by comparing connectivity patterns through the data without considering time, in other words only zero order changes are examined. In this work we propose …

Growing Evidence For The Impact Of Air Pollution On Depression, Naureen Akber Ali, Adeel Khoja

School of Nursing & Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Are There Mortality Risks For Patients With Epilepsy Who Use Cannabis Treatments As Monotherapy?, Devon M Kollmyer, Kyla E Wright, Nicole M Warner, Michael J Doherty

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Mortality associated with cannabis used for treatment of epilepsy is not well documented. We discuss two fatalities in the setting of epilepsy and self-determined therapy with cannabis (SDTC). One patient had probable sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, the second death was due to seizure-associated drowning. Both directed SDTC over conventional anti-seizure medications. Where recreational cannabis is legal, decisions to use cannabis are often self-directed and independent of physician advice of cannabis risks, in part because physicians may not be aware of the risk of SDTC. Further study of morbidity and mortality of SDTC in patients with epilepsy is needed.

A Microbial-Based Cancer Vaccine For Induction Of Egfrviii-Specific Cd8+ T Cells And Anti-Tumor Immunity., Lauren Zebertavage, Shelly Bambina, Jessica Shugart, Alejandro Alice, Kyra D Zens, Peter Lauer, Bill Hanson, Michael J. Gough, Marka R Crittenden, Keith S Bahjat

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Dysregulated signaling via the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-family is believed to contribute to the progression of a diverse array of cancers. The most common variant of EGFR is EGFRvIII, which results from a consistent and tumor-specific in-frame deletion of exons 2-7 of the EGFR gene. This deletion generates a novel glycine at the junction and leads to constitutive ligand-independent activity. This junction forms a novel shared tumor neo-antigen with demonstrated immunogenicity in both mice and humans. A 21-amino acid peptide spanning the junctional region was selected, and then one or five copies of this 21-AA neo-peptide were incorporated into …

How Might Tissue Glucose Influence Responsive Neurostimulation Detection?, Kyla E Wright, Devon M Kollmyer, Nicole M Warner, Alan M Haltiner, Ryder P Gwinn, Michael J Doherty

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Participation In An Innovative Patient Support Program Reduces Prescription Abandonment For Adalimumab-Treated Patients In A Commercial Population., Diana Brixner, Manish Mittal, David T Rubin, Philip Mease, Harry H Liu, Matthew Davis, Arijit Ganguli, A Mark Fendrick

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Purpose: Nonadherence to indicated therapy reduces treatment effectiveness and may increase cost of care. HUMIRA Complete, a Patient Support Program (PSP), aims to reduce nonadherence in patients prescribed adalimumab (ADA). The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between participation in the PSP and prescription abandonment rates among ADA-treated patients.

Patients and methods: This longitudinal study using patient-level data from AbbVie's PSP linked with medical and pharmacy claims data included patients ≥18 years with an ADA-approved indication, ≥1 pharmacy claim for ADA, and available data ≥3 months before and ≥6 months after the index date (defined as the …

Lipid-Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles As A Next-Generation Drug Delivery Platform: State Of The Art, Emerging Technologies, And Perspectives., Anubhab Mukherjee, Ariana K Waters, Pranav Kalyan, Achal Singh Achrol, Santosh Kesari, Venkata Yenugonda

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPHNPs) are next-generation core-shell nanostructures, conceptually derived from both liposome and polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), where a polymer core remains enveloped by a lipid layer. Although they have garnered significant interest, they remain not yet widely exploited or ubiquitous. Recently, a fundamental transformation has occurred in the preparation of LPHNPs, characterized by a transition from a two-step to a one-step strategy, involving synchronous self-assembly of polymers and lipids. Owing to its two-in-one structure, this approach is of particular interest as a combinatorial drug delivery platform in oncology. In particular, the outer surface can be decorated in multifarious ways …

An Inflammatory Landscape For Preoperative Neurologic Deficits In Glioblastoma., Amal Katrib, Hyun-Hwan Jeong, Nina L Fransen, Kristin S Henzel, Jeremy A Miller

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Difficult Conversations., Alison Christy

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Marjolin's Tumor Complicating Chronic Periprosthetic Infection Of A Total Knee Arthroplasty, Timothy Horan, Matthew T. Wallace, Albert J. Aboulafia, Janet D. Conway

Orthopedic Surgery Resident Research

Marjolin's tumor is a term used to describe a malignancy developing in the setting of a chronic wound, infection, or other tissue subject to chronic inflammatory changes. These malignancies usually present after many years of chronicity, and can range from lower grade basal cell carcinomas to high-grade sarcomas. We present the case of a squamous cell carcinoma that developed within a chronic periprosthetic infection of a total knee arthroplasty of 7 years duration. The intra-articular location, association with an orthopaedic implant, and brief latency period are all unique features of this case.