Loyola University Research Articles

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Plant Studies, Vol. 6, No. 1

Journal of Plant Studies wishes to acknowledge the following individuals for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Their help and contributions in maintaining the quality of the journal are greatly appreciated.Journal of Plant Studies is recruiting reviewers for the journal. If you are interested in becoming a reviewer, we welcome you to join us. Please find the application form and details at http://www.ccsenet.org/reviewer and e-mail the completed application form to jps@ccsenet.org.Reviewers for Volume 6, Number 1Adriana F. Sestras, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, RomaniaAna Simonovic, Institute for Biological Research "Sinisa Stankovic", SerbiaArthur T. O. Melo, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, United StatesBing Wang, Iowa State University, United StatesChrystian Iezid Maia e Almeida Feres, Tocantins Federal University, BrazilHoma Mahmoodzadeh, Department of Biology, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, IranKinga Kostrakiewicz-Gieralt, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, PolandKirandeep Kaur Mani, California seed and Plant Labs, Pleasant Grove, CA, United States of AmericaMalgorzata Pietrowska-Borek, Poznan University of Life Sciences, PolandMartina Pollastrini, University of Florence, ItalyMassimo Zacchini, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), ItalyMelekber Sulusoglu, Arslanbey Vocational School Kocaeli University, TurkeyMontaser Fawzy Abdel-Monaim, Plant Pathology Res. Instatute, Agric. Res. Center, EgyptPanagiotis Madesis, Institiute of Applied Biosciences (CE.R.T.H.)/INAB, GreecePeter R. Greene, BGKT Consulting Ltd. Huntington, New York 11743, United StatesRosana Noemi Malpassi, Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto, ArgentinaSaid Laarabi, University Mohammed V/Ministry of National Education, MoroccoSlawomir Borek, Adam Mickiewicz University, PolandSuheb Mohammed, University of Virginia, United StatesVikas Mishra, Paher University, IndiaXiaomin Wu, Loyola University Chicago, United StatesYa-Yi Huang, Institution of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan

Obituary: A Remembrance of Francis M. Howard MD (1922-2016).

Obituary: A Remembrance of Francis M. Howard MD (1922-2016).

Reply.

*Department of Ophthalmology, Loyola University at Chicago, Maywood, IL †Thomas John Vision Institute, Tinley Park, IL ‡Ocular Surface Center, Miami, FL §Department of Ophthalmology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL Financial disclosures/conflicts of interest: None reported.

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law: A History by Maria Isabel Medina

Reviewed by: Loyola University New Orleans College of Law: A History by Maria Isabel Medina Paul M. Pruitt Jr. Loyola University New Orleans College of Law: A History. By Maria Isabel Medina. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2016. Pp. xiv, 277. $45.00, ISBN 978-0-8071-6318-4.) In most states there is a stark hierarchy among law schools based on passage rates of the bar exam. Such rankings, however, often mask the excellence and usefulness of lower-ranked schools. Loyola University New Orleans, for example, is typically the third-ranked law school in Louisiana, behind Louisiana State University (LSU) and Tulane University. But as Maria Isabel Medina [End Page 458] shows in her centennial history of Loyola New Orleans, the school has been an important factor in leveling the professional playing fields. The law school was launched in 1914 as a natural appendage of the Jesuit-run university. The school's early history reads much like that of any upward-striving southern law school, with two exceptions. The first is that Jesuit professors and law school administrators shared a vision of human worth, one that slowly but surely transcended the Jim Crow limitations of local and regional culture. The second, less comprehensive exception flowed from the same source. Loyola's officials, conscious of the school's identity, felt free to resist certain pedagogical trends backed by the American Bar Association and the legal academy. Both strongly discouraged the continuation of night school law programs, a means by which a number of early-twentieth-century institutions had attracted office workers and others who wanted to better themselves. Loyola, founded as a blue-collar law school, had no interest in limiting access to the legal profession; thus, Loyola has kept its evening division to this day. An important component of Medina's work is her treatment of Loyola New Orleans's role in the racial integration of the legal profession—a small but telling chapter in the civil rights epic of the mid-twentieth century. The year 1942 saw the first attempt by an African American to gain admission to Loyola's law school. An administration fearful of the backlash from the white community rejected this application, but the attempt touched off more than a decade of internal debate. By the end of the 1940s a growing number of faculty—led initially by Dean Vernon Miller and later by Joseph H. Fichter and Louis J. Twomey—opposed excluding applicants on the basis of race. The issue was not merely a matter of academic principle. During these years a number of lawsuits challenged the region's separate-but-equal approach to legal education. Indeed in 1950 federal district judge James Skelly Wright, a Loyola graduate, authored an opinion ordering LSU "to admit qualified blacks to its law school" (p. 75). The next year the national legal academy entered the discussion when the convention of the Association of American Law Schools debated what came to be known as the Yale Resolution. The resolution would have excluded from membership any school that continued to discriminate among applicants on the basis of race. The Yale Resolution was subjected to various forms of parliamentary maneuver and delay before it was voted down in 1951. Delegates from Loyola New Orleans, unlike their counterparts from LSU and Tulane, voted for the Yale Resolution. After further study by a church-appointed commission, Loyola was ready to act on its principles. In August 1952 the school admitted Norman Francis, its first African American law student. In the course of this fine book, Medina handles other themes of interest—for example, the steady rise of women in the legal profession. Likewise, in setting out Loyola's response to issues of poverty law, especially where they intersect with the movement to provide law students with clinical experience, Medina illuminates a little-known aspect of law schools' commitment to pursue social justice. Finally, Medina's measured treatment of Hurricane Katrina—the bravery and persistence of Loyola's people and the generosity shown by officials of neighboring schools, especially the University of Houston Law [End Page 459] Center—cannot help but resonate with readers who have experienced any of the natural disasters...

Collaborative Parish Leadership: Contexts, Models, Theology ed. by William A. Clark, Daniel Gast

Reviewed by: Collaborative Parish Leadership: Contexts, Models, Theology ed. by William A. Clark, Daniel Gast Charles E. Zech Collaborative Parish Leadership: Contexts, Models, Theology. Edited by William A. Clark and Daniel Gast. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2017. 246pp. $90.00. In 2005 the USCCB published Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: A Resource for Guiding the Development of Lay Ecclesial Ministry which emphasized that the ordained and lay staff are co-workers, that is, collaborators. However, even the most casual observer would recognize that this goal is seldom achieved in most parishes. The reasons are many, but up until now they have not been systematically studied. Now comes Collaborative Parish Leadership: Contexts, Models, Theology. This edited volume is a report on Project INSPIRE (“Identify, Nurture, and Sustain Pastoral Imagination through Resources for Excellence”), a partnership between the Archdiocese of Chicago and Loyola University, Chicago that was funded by the Lilly Endowment initiative Sustaining Pastoral Excellence. [End Page 101] The goal of the project was to assist pastors and parish staff to grow into a collaborative parish leadership team. The key component of the program was the use of organizational consultants assigned to work on-site with parish-based pastoral staffs. Eventually the project included 46 parishes. Among the questions that the project addressed were: • What did INSPIRE stakeholders learn about organizational consultation with pastors and their staffs? • What expressions of collaborative pastoral leadership mark the transition from pastoral staff to pastoral leadership team? How can consultative relationships assist that development? • How is organizational consulting in Catholic parishes nuanced from other NGO consulting? The book also includes chapters contributed by members of the Catholic Faculty at Ruhr University of Bochum, who are engaged in the CrossingOver Project, which has participated in intercultural exchanges with the Archdiocese of Chicago and Loyola University over the years. Co-editors William A. Clark and Daniel Gast summarized the book’s findings in their chapter “Collaboration in a Pastoral Key.” They first identified some common impediments to collaborative leadership that most of us have probably observed in our own parishes. These included: • a “culture of task” – a relentless, nearly addictive drive on the part of parish staff to be at work. Staff meetings were viewed as preventing people from doing their work • inattention to mission, vision, and values • loss of perspective sustained by a lack of reflection • perfunctory prayer, or no prayer shared with colleagues • workplace silos • inadequate continuing education, reading, and spiritual direction • alternatively fractious or compliant relationships among staff • concealment of conflict • resistance to change These impediments negatively impacted both the organization and the people involved. However, they tended to be mitigated as the staff grew collaboratively. In addition, staff members learned to name each other’s gifts and call one another to pastoral leadership, in the process developing discipleship among parishioners to form a vibrant parish community. The book concludes by identifying a sequence of steps typical in the transition to a collaborative parish staff. However the editors caution [End Page 102] that the movement from one stage to another might not proceed smoothly. These included: • Admitting that communication and organization among the staff could be improved. • Discussing these issues in a “safe place,” typically an informal setting where respect and confidentiality are maintained. • Engaging a facilitator who would help move the group forward until they were ready to take ownership. • Working at developing a spiritual community. • Working at developing more advanced communication skills, such as discourse, debate, and dialogue. • Focusing on communicating about mission, not merely tasks and programming. • Proclaiming the mission to parishioners and working with them to develop an attractive vision of what the parish could be. This is a valuable book that provides many important observations and helpful suggestions. While each chapter is interesting in itself, the real value of the book lies in the wonderful job that the editors have done in summarizing the findings. In fact, one could get all the important insights that the book offers by reading just the first two chapters and the concluding chapter. Charles E. Zech Villanova University Copyright © 2017 American Catholic Historical Society

Murphy, James G. War’s Ends: Human Rights, International Order, and the Ethics of Peace. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2014. 232 pp. $29.95 (paper).

Murphy, James G. <i>War’s Ends: Human Rights, International Order, and the Ethics of Peace</i>. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2014. 232 pp. $29.95 (paper).

Characteristics of Medical Students Planning to Work in Medically Underserved Settings.

We explored medical students' desire to practice medicine in a medically under-served area (MUS). We surveyed M1-M4 students at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine (66% overall response rate). Primary outcome was intent to locate future practice in a MUS. Predictor variables included gender, race/ethnicity, and measures of religiosity, spirituality, sense of calling, burnout, and interest in primary care. In bivariate analysis, we found statistically significant associations between our primary outcome variable and gender, spirituality, growing up in MUS, sense of calling, primary care interest, and burnout. All associations except burnout persisted in multivariate analysis. As in studies of physicians, medical student intent to practice in MUS correlated with gender, growing up in MUS, and interest in primary care. Intent correlated with sense of calling and spirituality but not religiosity or burnout. Future research is warranted as spirituality and sense of calling may play a role in career decisions.

A New Year Worth Noting

A New Year Worth Noting Marianne Ryan (bio) Turning a calendar’s page to a new year symbolizes a new beginning. Calendars themselves, in concept and as artifacts, can similarly signal a fresh start and often afford an opportunity for reflection. The Gregorian calendar is a good example. Adopted by England and the American Colonies in 1752, its implementation advanced time 11 days, literally overnight. The new calendar purportedly triggered revolt among some British citizens, who demanded the return of that lost time. On the other hand, Ben Franklin applauded the change, noting, “It is pleasant for an old man to be able to go to bed on September 2, and not have to get up until September 14.”1 Regardless of one’s perspective, the transition to Gregorian time was a significant departure from the Julian calendar that had been in place. Historically, calendar reform has been prompted by a perceived need to improve the way things had been done before—in this case, marking time. Journals whose volume numbers change at the start of a calendar year, as portal’s do, often seize that moment to make adjustments, be it with updating the physical design of the publication, shuffling the makeup of the editorial board, or revising the content that is presented. Sunsetting the old and showcasing the new is a characteristic way for a journal to mark time. At once, it can acknowledge the past and announce a new direction, as T. S. Eliot wrote: “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language / And next year’s words await another voice.”2 As portal embarks on its 17th year and unveils the first issue of the corresponding volume, number 17, it also introduces a new feature. “Worth Noting” will not so much replace but rather expand upon the concept of a book review column. Designed to highlight what is new and noteworthy, this offering will be broadly inclusive. It will present interviews with scholars and administrators, previews of what is innovative in libraries and the academy, and reviews of design concepts, emerging technologies, assessment approaches, or whatever else may be significant. And—yes—sometimes, reviews of books. Thanks to Tomalee Doan of Arizona State University in Tempe for agreeing to join the portal Editorial Board and take on the role of editing our new feature. We expect that “Worth Noting” will run in each issue, and we welcome your submissions. As our first “Worth Noting” installment, we are pleased to present a data paper, “Subject Liaisons in Academic Libraries: An Open Access Data Set from 2015,” by Neil [End Page 1] Nero and Anne Langley. A data paper has been described as “a short, peer-reviewed publication that is designed to raise awareness of a dataset and its re-use potential.”3 The publication of such a paper is a first for portal. With the launch of our exciting new feature, portal retires the traditional “Reviews” column that has been part of the journal since its inception. Sincere thanks to Fred Rowland of Temple University in Philadelphia, who ably served as that feature’s editor for the better part of nine years, never missing an issue or a deadline. Under Fred’s stewardship, 33 “Reviews” columns were produced and more than 240 individual book reviews published—a truly notable accomplishment. The entire Editorial Board of portal expresses its gratitude to Fred and extends best wishes to him as he takes on new professional challenges. The journal’s masthead, listing feature editors and topics, has been updated to reflect these changes. Marianne Ryan Marianne Ryan is the editor of portal: Libraries and the Academy and the dean of libraries at Loyola University Chicago; she may be reached by mryan21@luc.edu. Notes 1. Jennie Cohen, “6 Things You May Not Know about the Gregorian Calendar,” History channel, 2012, http://www.history.com/news/6-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-gregorian-calendar. 2. T. S. Eliot, “Little Gidding,” in T. S. Eliot: The Complete Poems and Plays 1909–1950 (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1962), 141. 3. Katie Green, “Open Access Data Papers at Internet Archaeology,” International Open Access Week, 2013, http://www.openaccessweek...

Prospective Case Review in Radiation Oncology Prior to Treatment Delivery

Prospective Case Review in Radiation Oncology Prior to Treatment Delivery

Early Post-Transplantation Tacrolimus Levels Correlate with Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation from Related and Unrelated Donors

Introduction: Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a leading cause of transplant related mortality following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). The most widely used aGVHD prophylaxis regimen is a combination of a calcineurin inhibitor and a short course of methotrexate. Results of studies on the optimal blood levels of the calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus to prevent aGVHD are mixed, with some showing no correlation and others indicating that trough levels between 7-15 ng/mL required to adequately prevent aGVHD. Currently, the established target trough level for this agent is 10 to 20 ng/mL. We retrospectively evaluated the relationship between tacrolimus blood concentration and the incidence of grade II-IV aGVHD in a large cohort of adult patients following allogeneic HCT from either an HLA-matched related or matched unrelated donors.Methods: We evaluated all related/unrelated allografts between January 2004 and December 2012 at the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center at Loyola University. Inclusion criteria included age 18 years or older, first allogeneic HCT for a hematological malignancy, and use of tacrolimus and short term methotrexate for aGVHD prophylaxis. Donors included human leukocyte antigen (HLA) identical sibling (Allo-Sib) or unrelated donors (MUD) either fully matched or 1 antigen mismatched (10%). Both myeloablative and non-myeloablative conditioning regimens were included. Disease risk was defined by the ASBMT classification and Co-Morbidity Index by Sorror et al (HCT-CI). Infusional tacrolimus was initiated on day -2 of HCT at dose of 0.03 mg/kg/d and AM trough blood concentrations measured every other day during the entire hospital stay with the goal of maintaining a level of 10-15 ng/ml and then twice weekly after discharge. Dose adjustments or withholds were based primary on serum creatinine and trough levels per a set protocol that withholds for levels greater than 20 ng/ml or creatinine greater than 2.0 mg/dl. Acute GVHD was graded based on the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry System. Univariate and multivariate analyses exploring all risk factors for aGVHD were performed.Results: A total of 428 patients met the inclusion criteria. Median age was 48.5 years with a male predominance (60.6%). HCT-CI was evenly distributed with 121 (28.2%) low risk, 151 (35.3%) intermediate risk, and 156 (36.4%) high risk. Per ASBMT disease risk classification, more patients had high disease risk (n=211, 49.3%); 64 (15%) with intermediate risk, and 153 (35.7%) with low risk. Acute GVHD II-IV developed in 186 (43%) patients in this largely myeloablative patient population (89%), with donor source split nearly evenly between MUD (45%) and Allo-sib (55%). An extensive univariate analysis for the factors associated with the development of aGVHD was developed (Table 1). The strongest predictor of aGVHD was a level of tacrolimus < 5 ng/ml in weeks 3 and 4 after transplant: of those with no aGVHD only 16.9% had a level < 5 ng/ml during these weeks vs 27.4% with aGVHD (p = .009). Other tacrolimus trough cut points, i.e. 10 ng/ml, 2.5 ng/ml and the mean (13.4 ng/ml in each group) were not associated with a higher rate of aGVHD. In the univariate analysis, AML and allo-sib grafts were noted to be associated with lower risk of aGVHD. In multivariate analysis (Table 2), tacrolimus levels less than 5 ng/ml in weeks 3 or 4 was found to be the most statistically significant factor in predicting aGVHD incidence (Odds ratio 82 95% CI 1.13-2.94; p = .01); other significant factors include HCT-CI (p = .02) and graft source (p = .04).Conclusion: In one of the largest retrospective studies examining the correlation of early tacrolimus blood concentrations and acute GHVD incidence, we show that trough tacrolimus levels less than 5 ng/ml in weeks 3-4 following Allo-Sib or MUD HCT is a strong predictor for an increased risk of aGVHD. We affirm that higher HCT-CI and donor source are risk factors for aGVHD after allografts. This not only helps define more accurately the lower limits of acceptable tacrolimus levels, but appears to emphasize the importance for close monitoring and dose adjustment of these levels at a time when patients are typically discharged to the outpatient setting. [Display omitted] [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Infliximab and Low Dose Alemtuzumab in Patients with Steroid-Refractory Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Introduction:Steroid-refractory grade IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) carries a mortality rate of approximately 80%. Trials of novel therapies including antibodies directed against the T-cell immune response have generally failed to improve outcomes although may lead to responses. Infliximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody to TNF alpha, and alemtuzumab another monoclonal antibody targeting CD52, an antigen expressed on T and B lymphocytes and other antigen presenting cells (APCs) both have produced response rates in the 50-75% range. However, few are long-term survivors as the majority die of opportunistic infections (OI). While steroids are ineffective in many series, they are continued when novel agents are employed. We have approached steroid-refractory aGVHD with a combination of rapid steroid discontinuation, standard doses of infliximab and short course low dose alemtuzumab with the hope for aGVHD control without early deaths from OIs.Methods:We identified all patients who were treated for steroid-refractory aGVHD between January 1, 2014 and March 1, 2016 at Loyola University Medical Center. The diagnosis of aGVHD was made by clinical criteria per the National Institutes of Health guidelines. The diagnosis was confirmed by endoscopic evaluation and biopsy of the affected organ. All patients received methylprednisolone 2 mg/kg/day IV given in twice daily dosing for at least 7 days prior to being considered steroid-refractory. Patients received infliximab 10 mg/kg IV infusion weekly x 2 then every other week until remission and alemtuzumab 3 mg IV test dose on day 1, followed by 10 mg IV daily for 4 days. At the same time steroids were reduced by 50% and further reductions of 50% were made every 4 days. Responses were assessed by daily grading of aGVHD per Glucksberg criteria after dosing of infliximab and alemtuzumab. A complete response (CR) was defined as full resolution of abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, liver function test abnormalities, or skin involvement. A partial response (PR) was defined as a 50% improvement in diarrhea, liver function abnormalities, or skin involvement with a decrease in 1 or more grade levels of aGVHD per Glucksberg criteria.Results:To date 6 patients have been treated for steroid-refractory aGVHD after matched related donor (MRD) or matched unrelated donor (MUD) HSCT. Patient characteristics are shown in Table 1. There were 5 patients who underwent a MRD or MUD HSCT for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and 1 patient who underwent a MUD HSCT for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Median age at treatment was 64 years. All patients had Glucksberg grade 4 aGVHD (Table 1). The overall response rate (ORR) was 83% with 4 patients achieving a PR, 1 patient achieving CR, and 1 patient with no response to treatment. Day 100 survival after dosing of alemtuzumab was 50% with deaths due to aGVHD in 2 patients and death due to septic shock in 1 patient. CMV reactivation occurred in 4 patients and EBV reactivation occurred in 1 patient.Conclusion:In our single institution analysis, the combination of infliximab and alemtuzumab with rapid steroid withdrawal achieved a high ORR of 83% in treatment of steroid-refractory aGVHD after MRD or MUD HSCT with an encouraging 50% survival at day 100. This approach will be continued to further define its efficacy and safety for the treatment of steroid-refractory aGVHD. [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Persistent Prothrombotic State in Atrial Fibrillation Despite Use of Novel Oral Anti-Coagulants

Background: Oral anticoagulants such as warfarin have been conventionally used for the management of atrial fibrillation (AF). Despite the effectiveness of warfarin, its use in AF patients requiring anticoagulation is suboptimal with an even greater underuse seen in elderly patients who are at higher risk of stroke. New oral anticoagulants such as rivaroxaban(R), apixaban (A), dabigitran (D) and edoxaban (E) have been approved to manage thrombotic and cardiovascular disorders including AF. The newer anticoagulants do not require continuous monitoring like warfarin and are much more convenient for patients with AF.Objective: To profile the baseline level of circulating thrombotic biomarkers plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), von Willebrand Factor (vWF), microparticle bound tissue factor (MP-TF) and prothrombin fragment 1.2 (F1.2) in patients with AF. Additionally, the effect of novel oral anticoagulants (R, A, D and E) on the levels of thrombotic biomarkers in patients with AF is assessed.Materials and Methods: Citrated blood samples were drawn from 30 patients (21 male and 9 female; mean age 59.1) prior to ablation surgery for AF at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. Citrated blood was spun at 3000 rpm to obtain platelet poor plasma. Normal plasma samples from healthy controls (24 male and 24 female; mean age 33) were purchased from a commercial source (George King Biomedical, Overland Park, KS). The plasma samples were analyzed using a biochip array (Randox, London, UK) for metabolic syndrome biomarkers including PAI-1 and ELISA kits for vWF, MP-TF (Hyphen BioMed, Nueville-Sur-Oise, France) and prothrombin F1.2 (Siemens, Newark, DE).Results: Compared to the control group, circulating levels of vWF, MP-TF and PAI-1 were statistically increased in patients with AF (P<0.0001, P<0.0001, and P=0.0014, respectively). Circulating levels of prothrombin F1.2 showed no difference between the AF and the control group (P=0.2696). AF patients (n=30) were divided into two groups based on their usage (Group 1, n=17) and non-usage (Group 2, n=10) of any novel oral anticoagulant (R, A, D and E). Three patients on warfarin were excluded from this section of data analysis. A statistical increase in vWF (P=0.0018) and MP-TF (P=0.0039) remained in those taking novel oral anticoagulants compared to group 2. No difference was seen in PAI-1 (P=0.333) or F1.2 (P=0.31) between groups 1 and 2. Percent change from the normal mean was also calculated for PAI-1, vWF, MP-TF and F1.2 in group 1 (78%, 61.1%, 142%, 8.9%, respectively) and group 2 (113.6%, 16.9%, 31.7%, 41.4%, respectively) as seen in table 1.Discussion: Elevated levels of PAI-1, vWF and MP-TF seen in AF patients compared to normal provide insight into an additional risk of thrombogenesis associated with AF which is not targeted by current anticoagulant medications. Most AF patients are assessed using a stroke risk stratification scale (CHA2DS2VASc) to determine if anti-coagulants should be used to prevent stroke associated with AF. Patients in group 1 had a mean CHA2DS2VASc score of 1.15 compared to 2.18 see in group 2. This data supports studies which suggest that including levels of prothrombotic biomarkers to current risk stratification scales could be more effective in assessing the risk of stroke of patients with AF. This data also suggests that although very effective in lowering prothrombin F1.2 levels in AF, the newer anticoagulants, R,A,D and E still leave additional prothrombotic biomarkers unaffected. These unaffected biomarkers could be the potential target of future drug therapies which could lower the risk of stroke in patients with AF even more than the use of newer anticoagulants alone. [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Platelet Activation in End-Stage Renal Disease Is Mediated By Extracellular Nucleosomes That Originate from White Blood Cells

IntroductionExtracellular nucleosomes in plasma (PNs) are complexes of DNA and histones that are released during cell death and inflammatory responses. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) represents a complex syndrome where inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and hemostatic aberrations contribute to the observed vascular manifestations. The purpose of this investigation is to profile PNs in patients with ESRD and to demonstrate their relevance to blood cells and platelet activation products.MethodsPre-dialysis plasma samples from patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (n = 90) at Loyola University outpatient dialysis unit were collected under an approved IRB protocol. Plasma samples from healthy individuals (n = 50) were purchased from a biobank as a control (George King Biomedical, Overland Park, Kansas). Complete blood count profiles, including white blood cells (WBCs), red blood cells (RBCs), and platelets were obtained from the patients’ medical records. The levels of PNs in ESRD patients and healthy volunteers were measured using the Cell Death Detection ELISA PLUS assay (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). MP-TF levels were measured using the Zymuphen MP-TF kit (Hyphen BioMed, Neuville-sur-Oise, France). PDGF levels were measured using the Human PDGF-BB Quantikine ELISA Kit (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, Minnesota). Human PF4 levels were measured using the Zymutest PF4 ELISA Kit (Hyphen BioMed, Neuville-sur-Oise, France). All individual results were tabulated and analyzed using the statistical software GraphPad Prism 7. The Mann-Whitney test for non-parametric data was utilized in comparing ESRD to control groups. PN levels were correlated with cell counts and platelet activation factors using the non-parametric Spearman correlation. Individual cell counts were also correlated with platelet activating factors using the same method.ResultsIn the ESRD patients, the average hematocrit was 31.7 ± 4.4 %, the average WBC count was 6.5 ± 4.0 K/uL, and the average platelet count was 179.4 ± 66.3 K/uL. The levels of PNs in the ESRD patients (15.5 ± 14.1 Arbitrary Units (AU)) were markedly higher in comparison to that of the controls (6.74 ± 13.7 AU; p < 0.0001). Similarly, MP-TF levels were significantly elevated in ESRD patients (3.00 ± 1.42 pg/mL) compared to normal (0.363 ± 0.263 pg/mL; p < 0.0001). PF4 levels were also significantly elevated in ESRD patients (95.3 ± 35.3 ng/mL) compared to normal (27.4 ± 19.8 ng/mL; p < 0.0001). While PDGF levels were higher in the ESRD group (116.0 ± 172.5 pg/mL) in comparison to the controls (82.7 ± 113.5 pg/mL), this increase was not statistically significant (p = 0.405). A positive correlation was observed between PNs and WBCs (p = 0.024; r = 0.244). PN levels did not show a correlation with RBC (p = 0.448; r = 0.083) and platelet levels (p = 0.545; r = 0.066). Furthermore, there was no correlation between PNs and MP-TF (p = 0.501; r = 0.077), PDGF (p = 0.314; r = 0.110) and PF4 (p = 0.524; r = -0.070) in the ESRD patients. However, the platelet count showed a positive correlation with PDGF (p = 0.044; r = 0.218) and MP-TF (p = 0.042; r = 0.237). Similarly, the WBC count showed a positive correlation with the platelet count (p < 0.0001; r = 0.476) and PDGF (p = 0.016; r = 0.260).ConclusionThis study clearly demonstrates that extracellular nucleosomes are elevated in the plasma of patients with ESRD. The fact that the PN levels correlated with the number of circulating white blood cells suggest that the PNs originate from these cells. Since the ESRD patients exhibited platelet activation, as evident by the observed increase in PDGF, MP-TF and PF4, it is plausible that this activation is mediated by PNs originating from the WBCs. As observed by the positive correlation between WBCs, PDGF, and platelet count, this study underscores the potential role of nucleosomes originating from WBCs in the activation of platelets. These results are consistent with previously reported observations that extracellular histones can induce platelet activation in a TLR2 and TLR4 dependent manner (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21673343). DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Rediscovering Physical Collections through the Digital Archive: The Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project

Historic library collections offer a rich and underexplored resource for teaching undergraduate and graduate students about new digital approaches, methodologies, and platforms. Their scope and scale can make them difficult to analyze in their physical form, but remediated onto a digital platform, they offer valuable insights into the process of archive creation and the importance of making their content available to audiences that cannot normally access it. The Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project (JLPP) was launched by students, faculty, and library professionals in 2014 to create an online archive of marks of ownership—bookplates, stamps, inscriptions—contained within books from the original library collection of St. Ignatius College, precursor to Loyola University Chicago. The project grew out of student work for a university museum exhibition commemorating the bi-centennial of the restoration of the Society of Jesus (more commonly known as the Jesuits). Utilizing the popular social media image-sharing site Flickr, the JLPP seeks to foster a participatory community of students, scholars, collectors, and the broader public interested in the history of early and modern Catholic print and the intellectual framework and approach of 19th-century Jesuit education. Initially intended to provide students with the chance to learn how to conceptualize, plan, and build a digital archive, the JLPP has proven equally effective for teaching about digital scholarship, shared authority, and, rather unexpectedly, about the materiality of collections in the digital age

Pain Management of the Burn Patient

Dr. Patel is Resident, CA3, Department of Anesthesiology, Loyola University Medical Center, 2160 S 1st Ave, Maywood, IL 60153; E-mail: [email protected]. The author and all staff in a position to control the content of this CME activity have disclosed that they and their spouses/life partners (if any) have no financial relationships with, or financial interests in, any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.The author has disclosed that the use of Diphoterine as discussed in this article has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Please consult the product labeling for approved uses.CME AccreditationLippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. To earn CME credit, you must read the CME article and complete the quiz and evaluation assessment survey on the enclosed form, answering at least 70% of the quiz questions correctly. This CME activity expires on November 30, 2017.CNE AccreditationLippincott Williams & Wilkins is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. LWW, publisher of Topics in Pain Management, will award 2.0 contact hours for this continuing nursing education activity. This activity has been assigned 1.0 pharmacology credits. Instructions for earning ANCC contact hours are included on page 11 of the newsletter. This CNE activity expires on December 31, 2018.

Rethinking Meridians: as a Critical Knowledge Project, a Pedagogical Offering, and a Black Feminist Quilted Narrative

Introduction| December 01 2016 Rethinking Meridians: as a Critical Knowledge Project, a Pedagogical Offering, and a Black Feminist Quilted Narrative Karsonya Wise Whitehead Karsonya Wise Whitehead Karsonya (Kaye) Wise Whitehead, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Communication and African and African American Studies in the department of Communication at Loyola University Maryland and the founding Executive Director of The Emilie Frances Davis Center for Education, Research, and Culture. She is the author of four books including RaceBrave: new and selected works; Notes from a Colored Girl: The Civil War Pocket Diaries of Emilie Frances Davis, which received both the 2015 Darlene Clark Hine Book Award from the Organization of American Historians and the 2014 Letitia Woods Brown Book Award from the Association of Black Women Historians; and, Letters to My Black Sons: Raising Boys in a Post-Racial America. She is also a K-12 Master Teacher in African American History, an award-winning former Baltimore City middle school teacher, a three-time New York Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, and a 2016-2017 guest commentator for WYPR 88.1 FM. She is the creator of the #SayHerName Syllabus and a monthly Op-Ed columnist for The Baltimore Sun. Follow her on Twitter@kayewhitehead. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Meridians (2016) 15 (1): vii–xvii. https://doi.org/10.2979/meridians.15.1.01 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Karsonya Wise Whitehead; Rethinking Meridians: as a Critical Knowledge Project, a Pedagogical Offering, and a Black Feminist Quilted Narrative. Meridians 1 December 2016; 15 (1): vii–xvii. doi: https://doi.org/10.2979/meridians.15.1.01 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search Books & JournalsAll JournalsMeridians Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. Copyright © 2016 Smith College2016 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Interview with Mark Frasier: a Michael J Fox Foundation perspective on precision medicine in Parkinson's.

This interview was conducted by Lauren Pulling, Editor of Neurology Central. The full interview can be accessed on Neurology Central as part of the NCTalks podcast series which is available at: www.neurology-central.com/2016/11/28/nctalks-mark-frasier-precision-medicine-parkinsons-disease Mark Frasier co-manages a team of research professionals who stay closely linked to the Parkinson's research community in order to develop an aggressive and innovative agenda for accelerating research and drug development for Parkinson's disease. He also supports the foundation's priority interest in developing biomarkers for Parkinson's disease that will accelerate clinical trials of new drugs. He earned an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Dayton and a PhD in pharmacology from Loyola University Chicago. He completed his postdoctoral work in the Neuroscience Discovery Research Group at Eli Lilly, Inc., in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he worked on drug discovery research in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. He joined the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2006 and is now Senior Vice President of Research Programs.

Rosalind Mary Maskell

“The work of Rosalind Maskell is unknown to many; yet, clearly ahead of her time, she performed scientifically rigorous studies that provided compelling evidence to disprove the dogma that urine...

The sacred routes of Uyghur history, by Rian Thum, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2014, 323 pp., $39.95 (hardcover), ISBN 978-0674598553

Rian Thum obtained his PhD from Harvard University’s Inner Asian and Altaic Studies program in 2010. He is currently an assistant professor of history at Loyola University New Orleans. In his 2014 ...

Free Online Training Modules Hoped to Attract More Students to Psychiatry

Free Online Training Modules Hoped to Attract More Students to Psychiatry