• Title/Summary/Keyword: Johns Hopkins University

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Colonic Angioectasia in an Adolescent Boy with Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson on Long-Term Anabolic Steroid Therapy

  • Khalaf, Racha;Cuffari, Carmen
    • Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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    • v.21 no.1
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    • pp.68-71
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    • 2018
  • Androgen therapy has proven efficacy in treating patients with bone marrow failure who are not candidates for bone marrow transplantation. Herein, we report on a case of colonic angioectasia secondary to oxymetholone use in an adolescent patient with Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS). A 13-year-old Caucasian male with HHS characterized by cerebellar hypoplasia, developmental delay, microcephaly, esophageal strictures and myelodysplasia presented with severe hematochezia from colonic angioectasia secondary to long-term oxymetholone therapy. These vascular lesions resolved spontaneously once this anabolic steroid was discontinued. While androgen therapy is often recommended for certain anemias and myelodysplastic syndromes, clinicians should be aware of the potential complication in developing these perceived uncommon colonic angioectasias. Moreover, pediatric gastroenterologists should familiarize themselves in identifying these vascular lesions by colonoscopy, especially among the high risk groups on long-term anabolic steroid therapy.

Wavelet-based detection and classification of roof-corner pressure transients

  • Pettit, Chris L.;Jones, Nicholas P.;Ghanem, Roger
    • Wind and Structures
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    • v.3 no.3
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    • pp.159-175
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    • 2000
  • Many practical time series, including pressure signals measured on roof-corners of low-rise buildings in quartering winds, consist of relatively quiescent periods interrupted by intermittent transients. The dyadic wavelet transform is used to detect these transients in pressure time series and a relatively simple pattern classification scheme is used to detect underlying structure in these transients. Statistical analysis of the resulting pattern classes yields a library of signal "building blocks", which are useful for detailed characterization of transients inherent to the signals being analyzed.

Evidence of Multimeric Forms of HSP70 with Phosphorylation on Serine and Tyrosine Residues - Implications for Roles of HSP70 in Detection of GI Cancers

  • Dutta, Anand;Girotra, Mohit;Merchant, Nipun;Nair, Padmanabhan;Dutta, Sudhir Kumar
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.14 no.10
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    • pp.5741-5745
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    • 2013
  • Background: Heat-shock protein70 (HSP70) are intracellular protein chaperones, with emerging evidence of their association with various diseases. We have previously reported significantly elevated plasma-HSP70 (pHSP70) in pancreatic cancer. Current methods of pHSP70 isolation are ELISA-based which lack specificity due to cross-reactivity by similarities in the amino-acid sequence in regions of the protein backbone resulting in overestimated HSP70 value. Materials and Methods: This study was undertaken to develop a methodology to capture all isoforms of pHSP70, while further defining their tyrosine and serine phosphorylation status. Results: The methodology included gel electrophoresis on centrifuged supernatant obtained from plasma incubated with HSP70 antibody-coupled beads. After blocking non-specific binding sites, blots were immunostained with monoclonal-antibody specific for human-HSP70, phosphoserine and phosphotyrosine. Conclusions: Our novel immunocapture approach has distinct advantages over the commercially available methods of pHSP70 quantification by allowing isolation of molecular aggregates of HSP70 with additional ability to precisely distinguish phosphorylation state of HSP70 molecules at serine and tyrosine residues.

Employers' Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence among a Diverse Workforce

  • Samuel, Laura J.;Tudor, Carrie;Weinstein, Marc;Moss, Helen;Glass, Nancy
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.2 no.3
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    • pp.250-259
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    • 2011
  • Objectives: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant global public health concern, affecting 5.3 million US individuals annually. An estimated 1 in 3 women globally are abused by an intimate partner in their lifetime, and the effects carry over into the workplace. This article examines employers' perceptions of IPV in the workplace, targeting supervisors of Latina employees. Methods: Fourteen employers and supervisors of small service-sector companies in Oregon were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Interpretive description was used to identify themes. These qualitative interviews preceded and helped to formulate a larger workplace intervention study. Results: The following themes were found and are detailed: (1) factors associated with recognizing IPV in the workplace, (2) effects of IPV on the work environment and (3) supervisors' responses to IPV-active vs. passive involvement. Also, supervisors' suggestions for addressing IPV in the workplace are summarized. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the need for more IPV-related resources in the workplace to be available to supervisors as well as survivors and their coworkers. The needs of supervisors and workplaces vary by site, demonstrating the need for tailored interventions, and culturally appropriate workplace interventions are needed for Latinas and other racially and ethnically diverse populations.

Poly (ADP-ribose) in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease

  • Lee, Yunjong;Kang, Ho Chul;Lee, Byoung Dae;Lee, Yun-Il;Kim, Young Pil;Shin, Joo-Ho
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.47 no.8
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    • pp.424-432
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    • 2014
  • The defining feature of Parkinson's disease is a progressive and selective demise of dopaminergic neurons. A recent report on Parkinson's disease animal model demonstrates that poly (ADP-ribose) (PAR) dependent cell death, also named parthanatos, is accountable for selective dopaminergic neuronal loss. Parthanatos is a programmed necrotic cell death, characterized by PARP1 activation, apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) nuclear translocation, and large scale DNA fragmentation. Besides cell death regulation via interaction with AIF, PAR molecule mediates diverse cellular processes including genomic stability, cell division, transcription, epigenetic regulation, and stress granule formation. In this review, we will discuss the roles of PARP1 activation and PAR molecules in the pathological processes of Parkinson's disease. Potential interaction between PAR molecule and Parkinson's disease protein interactome are briefly introduced. Finally, we suggest promising points of therapeutic intervention in the pathological PAR signaling cascade to halt progression in Parkinson's disease.

Down the Rabbit Hole-Considerations for Ingested Foreign Bodies

  • Brown, Jerry;Kidder, Molly;Fabbrini, Abigail;deVries, Jonathan;Robertson, Jason;Chandler, Nicole;Wilsey, Michael
    • Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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    • v.22 no.6
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    • pp.619-623
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    • 2019
  • We report the case of a seven-year-old boy with an ingested foreign body, which was retained within the appendix for a known duration of ten months, ultimately requiring appendectomy. The ingested foreign body was incidentally discovered by abdominal x-ray at an emergency room visit for constipation. Despite four bowel cleanouts, subsequent x-rays showed persistence of the foreign body in the right lower quadrant. While the patient did not have signs or symptoms of acute appendicitis, laparoscopic appendectomy was performed due to the risk of this foreign body causing appendicitis in the future. A small metallic object was found within the appendix upon removal. This case highlights the unique challenge presented by foreign body ingestions in non-verbal or developmentally challenged children and the importance of further diagnostic workup when concerns arise for potential retained foreign bodies.

Non-Surgical Management of Gastroduodenal Fistula Caused by Ingested Neodymium Magnets

  • Phen, Claudia;Wilsey, Alexander;Swan, Emily;Falconer, Victoria;Summers, Lisa;Wilsey, Michael
    • Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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    • v.21 no.4
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    • pp.336-340
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    • 2018
  • Foreign body ingestions pose a significant health risk in children. Neodymium magnets are high-powered, rare-earth magnets that is a serious issue in the pediatric population due to their strong magnetic force and high rate of complications. When multiple magnets are ingested, there is potential for morbidity and mortality, including gastrointestinal fistula formation, obstruction, bleeding, perforation, and death. Many cases require surgical intervention for removal of the magnets and management of subsequent complications. However, we report a case of multiple magnet ingestion in a 19-month-old child complicated by gastroduodenal fistula that was successfully treated by endoscopic removal and supportive care avoiding the need for surgical intervention. At two-week follow-up, the child was asymptomatic and upper gastrointestinal series obtained six months later demonstrated resolution of the fistula.

Gastric Xanthoma in the Pediatric Population: A Possible Herald for Malignancy?

  • Russell, Joseph D.;Peck, Jacquelin;Phen, Claudia;Linehan, Janna L.;Karjoo, Sara;Nguyen, Johnny;Wilsey, Michael J.
    • Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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    • v.23 no.1
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    • pp.110-114
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    • 2020
  • Gastric xanthoma is frequently an incidental finding on upper endoscopy in adults. Gastric xanthomas (GX) can be mistaken for malignancies and warrant prompt histologic diagnosis. The underlying etiology is not fully understood; however, it has been linked to Helicobacter pylori gastritis and gastric cancer. GX in the pediatric population is largely unreported in the literature. Because of the relative rarity, documentation with case reports are essential to provide as much data as possible to see if there is a correlation between GX and malignant potential in the pediatric population. Our group is reporting two cases, a 10-year-old male and a 7-year-old male, both who presented with chronic dysphagia, upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Upper endoscopies for both patients revealed small polypoid lesions located in the antrum with foamy histiocytes on histology, leading to the diagnosis of gastric xanthoma.