Digital Commons Network^™

Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy Of Childhood: A Fatal Complication Of Swine Flu, Muhammad Rehan Khan, Prem Kumar Maheshwari, Syed Asad Ali, Anwarul Haque

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood (ANEC) is a rare condition characterized by the presence of multifocal symmetrical brain lesions involving mainly thalami, brainstem, cerebellum and white matter. ANEC is a serious and life threatening complication of simple viral infections. We present a case of a young child who developed this condition with classical clinical and radiological findings consistent with ANEC, secondary to swine flu (H1N1). He needed ventilatory support and had profound motor and intellectual deficit on discharge. We report this case with aim of raising awareness about this fatal complication of swine flu which has become a global health …

Atherosclerosis And Antioxidants, Yehoshua Lewis

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Cellular lipid oxidation is a known cause for the cascade leading to the formation of lipid laden foam cells, which can cause of atherosclerosis. While statins and antioxidants have recently come under question in the amelioration of atherosclerosis, Flavonoids have recently been touted as a powerful antioxidant and suppresser of atherosclerosis. This paper will attempt to show why statins and vitamin E have come under scrutiny, and how the desired effects of Flavonoids can be attributed to the role it plays in increased paraoxonase-1 activity (a known anti inflammatory associated with HDL), decreased C- Reactive protein activity, and increased nitric …

Cardiac Regeneration, Sara Leah Abraham

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to this article: Cardiovascular disease is a generic term that refers to any illness or disorder that involves the heart and its vessels or the blood vessels of the body. Cardiovascular disease has been accepted as the leading cause of death worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s National Vital Statistics Reports, twenty six percent of deaths in 2006, 631,636 in total, were caused by diseases of the heart (Heron et al. 2009).

One of the most common of all cardiovascular diseases is Ischaemic Heart Disease. This coronary artery disease often …

Cholera: An Overview Of A Disease, Ezriel Leifer

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Although the disease, cholera, has been recognized since antiquity, the bacteria responsible for causing it was only discovered in the mid-19th century. Since 1817, cholera has spread on a global basis to cause seven pandemics. According to information reported to the World Health Organization in 1999, almost 8,500 people died and another 223,000 became sick with cholera worldwide. During the period between full outbreaks, the cholera organism, Vibrio cholerae, thrives in brackish waters, in harmless as well as disease-causing forms. Vibrio cholerae is just one of a variety of ocean-borne microbes that can sicken humans via seafood, drinking water, and …

Pompe’S Disease And The Effects Of Alpha-Glucosidase Deficiency, Aaron Richler

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from the introduction of this article: The energy that the body needs in order to function is obtained from carbohydrates that we get through our diet. These carbohydrates are monosacharides, disaccharides and polysacharides. The polysaccharides and disaccharides are hydrolyzed to monosaccharide’s such glucose (which comprises roughly 80%) fructose and galactose. Most cells convert the fructose and galactose to glucose. The body can use the glucose or store it. If energy is needed, glucose can be oxidized through the many reactions of glycolysis which gives a net production of 2 ATP and 2 NADH from one …

Clostridium Difficile Associated Disease (Cdad), Rivka H. Borger

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Clostridium difficile bacteria (C. difficile) are a spore-forming species of bacteria that lies dormant in the colon, in the presence of normal intestinal flora. Due to overuse of certain antibiotics, normal intestinal bacteria may be depleted, and combined with other possible risk factors, allow C. difficile bacterial spores to develop into active, infectious, and extremely resistant toxin-producing bacteria. The toxins cause severe damage and inflammation to the intestinal wall that can result in gastrointestinal discomfort and severe pseudomembranous enterocolitis that must be treated with a low-risk C. difficile targeting defense.

Finding The Pill On The Floor: How Contrast Sensitivity Affects Daily Living Skills In Alzheimer’S Disease Patients, Marlyn Colon

Undergraduate Review

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys an individual’s mental functioning and social capabilities, including the ability to carry out everyday activities. Although memory deficits affect AD patients’ ability to perform these activities, research suggests that visual perception impairments also contribute. One impaired visual perception ability, contrast sensitivity, enables one to distinguish an object from its immediate surroundings. The present project measured contrast sensitivity in a real-world task by having AD patients find a pill of various shades of gray on a tiled background. Results were compared to young and elderly control participants. Participants also filled …

Protecting Hope: Situation Analysis Of Vulnerable Children In Uganda 2009, Sam Kalibala, Lynne Elson

HIV and AIDS

The Government of Uganda has focused attention on the problem of orphaned and other vulnerable children through a number of policies, regulations, and initiatives. In 2004, the Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development developed the National OVC Policy, aimed at improving the quality of life for poor and vulnerable children, such as children who have been orphaned, children who are living on the streets, children who are at risk of abuse, and children exposed to situations of armed conflict. However, despite the many efforts to improve the circumstances of vulnerable children in Uganda, policymakers, donors, and program managers still …

Rapids Evaluation Final Report 2005-2009 Key Findings, Louis Apicella, Katie D. Schenk, Hena Khan

HIV and AIDS

RAPIDS (Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support) is an intervention funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and is designed to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in Zambia. The overall goal of RAPIDS is to improve the quality of life of Zambians affected by HIV and AIDS by expanding successful community-based models of home-based care and support to orphans and vulnerable children and people who are chronically ill, as well as through interventions targeting youth with livelihood opportunities and life-skills training, focusing on initiatives supporting abstinence and being faithful.

Factors Affecting Enrolment Of Plhiv Into Art Services In India, Avina Sarna, Damodar Bachani, Mary Philip Sebastian, Ruchi Sogarwal, Madhusudana Battala

HIV and AIDS

At the end of 2007, India had an estimated 2.31 million people living with HIV, and an HIV prevalence of 0.34 percent. Despite the low HIV prevalence, these statistics place India among countries with a large number of people living with HIV (PLHIV). To address the care and support needs of PLHIV, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, initiated a national program in 2004 to provide free antiretroviral therapy (ART) for PLHIV. By March 2009, there were 211 functioning Antiretroviral Treatment Centers and 254 Community Care Centers across the country, and to date 217,781 individuals are …

A Doppler-Based Evaluation Of Peripheral Lower Limb Arterial Insufficiency In Diabetes Mellitus, Riffat Shaheen, Saba Sohail

Department of Radiology

Objective: To determine the frequency, level and flow patterns of lower limb arterial insufficiency in diabetic patients on Doppler ultrasound study.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Radiology Department, Civil Hospital, Karachi, from February 2007 to September 2008.
Methodology: One hundred adult diabetic patients with suspected peripheral vascular insufficiency irrespective of gender were included. Demographic data, presenting complaints, treatment history, and level of HbA1c were recorded. Doppler evaluated arterial status and ankle brachial index (ABI) were recorded on proforma. Statical analysis were done on SPSS version 12.
Results: The mean HbA1c was 8.4 ± 1.4gm/dl, a majority …

Characterisation Of Copd Heterogeneity In The Eclipse Cohort, Alvar Agusti, Peter M.A. Calverley, Bartolome Celli, Harvey O. Coxson, Lisa D. Edwards, David A. Lomas, William Macnee, Bruce E. Miller, Steve I. Rennard, Edwin K. Silverman, Ruth Tal-Singer, Emiel Wouters, Julie C. Yates, Jørgen Vestbo, The Evaluation Of Copd Longitudinally To Identify Predictive Surrogate Endpoints (Eclipse) Investigators

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex condition with pulmonary and extra-pulmonary manifestations. This study describes the heterogeneity of COPD in a large and well characterised and controlled COPD cohort (ECLIPSE).

METHODS: We studied 2164 clinically stable COPD patients, 337 smokers with normal lung function and 245 never smokers. In these individuals, we measured clinical parameters, nutritional status, spirometry, exercise tolerance, and amount of emphysema by computed tomography.

RESULTS: COPD patients were slightly older than controls and had more pack years of smoking than smokers with normal lung function. Co-morbidities were more prevalent in COPD patients than in …

Hereditary 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D-Resistant Rickets With Alopecia Resulting From A Novel Missense Mutation In The Dna-Binding Domain Of The Vitamin D Receptor., Peter J. Malloy, Jining Wang, Tarak Srivastava, David Feldman

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The rare genetic recessive disease, hereditary vitamin D resistant rickets (HVDRR), is caused by mutations in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) that result in resistance to the active hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3) or calcitriol). In this study, we examined the VDR from a young boy with clinical features of HVDRR including severe rickets, hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia and partial alopecia. The pattern of alopecia was very unusual with areas of total baldness, adjacent to normal hair and regions of scant hair. The child failed to improve on oral calcium and vitamin D therapy but his abnormal chemistries and his bone X-rays normalized …

Balance Training Reduces Falls Risk In Older Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes, Steven Morrison, Sheri R. Colberg, Mita Mariano, Henri K. Parson, Arthur I. Vinik

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE - This study assessed the effects of balance/strength training on falls risk and posture in older individuals with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Sixteen individuals with type 2 diabetes and 21 age-matched control subjects (aged 50-75 years) participated. Postural stability and falls risk was assessed before and after a 6-week exercise program.

RESULTS - Diabetic individuals had significantly higher falls risk score compared with control subjects. The diabetic group also exhibited evidence of mild-to-moderate neuropathy, slower reaction times, and increased postural sway. Following exercise, the diabetic group showed significant improvements in leg strength, faster reaction times, …

Ischemic Stroke Care - Official Guidelines From The Pakistan Society Of Neurology, Ayeesha Kamran Kamal, Ahmed Itrat, Imama Naqvi, Maria Khan, Roomasa Channa, Ismail Khatri, Mohammad Wasay

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Fat Mass Index In Determining Obesity, Gerson Peltz, Maria Teresa Aguirre, Maureen Sanderson, Mary K. Fadden

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Objectives: The objective of this study is to compare body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (PBF), and fat mass index (FMI) and to investigate the accuracy of FMI as a convenient tool for assessing obesity.

Design: Anthropometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance analyses were performed on 538 Mexican Americans (373 women and 165 men). Correlations between BMI and PBF and between FMI and PBF were investigated. The percentage of persons misclassified as obese using different classifications was calculated. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to generate predictive models of FMI for males and females separately.

Results: BMI and PBF were …

Reproductive Diseases Of Dairy Cattle, Christina Suzanne Tortosa

Dairy Science

The efficiency of today’s dairy has increased due to the growing number of cows per herd and the production of pounds of milk per cow. Increased milk production however has resulted in a reduction of conception rates causing a loss of income for the dairy producer since the dairy industry relies heavily on milk production, which is caused by good conception rates. Many reproductive disorders like dystocia, metritis, endometritis, and retained placenta affect conception rates, and can lead to metabolic diseases like rumen acidosis, milk fever, and displaced abomasums. Recurrent metabolic diseases can eventually lead to culling of the herd. …

Impact Of Parent’S Hiv Status On Their Uninfected Child—A Comparative Analysis Of The Child’S Healthcare Utilization, Access And Health Outcomes, Arijit Ganguli

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

With the advent of effective antiretroviral medication and increased expectancy of life span among HIV-infected individuals has lead to an increase in the at-risk population of uninfected children living with their HIV-infected parent(s). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of parent’s HIV status on their child’s access to healthcare resources, healthcare utilization and health outcomes.

This was a cross-sectional study in which the information on the children of HIV seropositive parent(s) was collected through a face-to-face interview of the HIV-infected parents having children currently residing with them. The comparative group comprising of children of HIV seronegative …

Evaluating The Reliability And Validity Of The Muscle Dysmorphia Inventory, Rebecca Sue Cubberley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Throughout the years, women have been the focus of eating disorders and body image research. With women being the focus of research in these areas, disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) have caught the eyes of researchers. With this new discovery, there has been a recent surge of research on body image issues and men. Originally termed reverse anorexia or bigorexia, Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) has gained the attention of researchers for about a decade (Grieve, 2007; Pope, Katz & Hudson, 1993; Pope, Gruber, Choi, Olivardia & Phillips, 1997).
The Muscle Dysmorphia Inventory (MDI) …

Killing Of Treponema Denticola By Mouse Peritoneal Macrophages, P. Gaibani, C. Vocale, S. Ambretti, F. Cavrini, Jacques Izard, L. Miragliotta, M. T. Pellegrino, V. Sambri

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Treponema denticola has been identified as an important cause of periodontal disease and hypothesized to be involved in extra-oral infections. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of T. denticola cell length and motility during mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro uptake. Macrophages, incubated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, produced a similar amount of TNF-α when stimulated with Escherichia coli LPS. The uptake of FlgE- and CfpA-deficient mutants of T. denticola was significantly increased compared with the wild-type strain, due to cell size or lack of motility. Opsonization with specific antibodies considerably improved the treponemes’ uptake. …

Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 2010, Zelpha B. Johnson, D. Wayne Kellogg

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Polysorbate 80 Inhibition Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilm Formation And Its Cleavage By The Secreted Lipase Lipa, C M. Toutain-Kidd, S C. Kadivar, C T. Bramante, S A. Bobin, Michael E. Zegans

Dartmouth Scholarship

Surface-associated bacterial communities known as biofilms are an important source of nosocomial infections. Microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa can colonize the abiotic surfaces of medical implants, leading to chronic infections that are difficult to eradicate. Our study demonstrates that polysorbate 80 (PS80), a surfactant commonly added to food and medicines, is able to inhibit biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa on a variety of surfaces, including contact lenses.

Acetaminophen Combinations Protect Against Iron-Induced Cardiac Damage In Gerbils, Ernest M. Walker Jr., Ryan G. Morrison, Lucy Dornon, Joseph P. Laurino, Sandra M. Walker, Mark Studeny, Paulette S. Wehner, Kevin M. Rice, Miaozong Wu, Eric R. Blough

MIIR Faculty Research

This study tested if acetaminophen, N-methyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate (NMGDTC), deferoxamine, and combinations of these agents reduce excess iron content, prevent iron-induced pathology, reduce cardiac arrhythmias, and reduce mortality in iron-overloaded gerbils. Eight groups of 16 gerbils received iron dextran injections (ferric hydroxide dextran complex, 120 mg/kg, ip) or saline solution (controls) twice/wk for 8 wk. The 8 groups were treated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with one of the following: saline control, acetaminophen, 150 mg/kg, ip), acetaminophen (150 mg/kg, po), deferoxamine, 83 mg/kg, ip), NMGDTC (200 mg/kg, ip), or combinations of acetaminophen (75 mg/kg) with deferoxamine (42 mg/kg, each ip, separately) …

Functional State Following The Fontan Procedure., Ismee A. Williams, Lynn A. Sleeper, Steven D. Colan, Minmin Lu, Elizabeth A. Stephenson, Jane W. Newburger, Welton M. Gersony, Meryl S. Cohen, James F. Cnota, Andrew M. Atz, Richard V. Williams, Renee Margossian, Andrew J. Powell, Mario P. Stylianou, Daphne T. Hsu, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Despite improvements in outcomes after completion of the Fontan circulation, long-term functional state varies. We sought to identify pre- and postoperative characteristics associated with overall function.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed data from 476 survivors with the Fontan circulation enrolled in the Pediatric Heart Network Fontan Cross-sectional Study. Mean age at creation of the Fontan circulation was 3.4 plus or minus 2.1 years, with a range from 0.7 to 17.5 years, and time since completion was 8.7 plus or minus 3.4 years, the range being from 1.1 to 17.3 years. We calculated a functional score for the survivors by …

Community Acquired Pneumonia: Risk Factors Associated With Mortality In A Tertiary Care Hospitalized Patients, Muhammad Irfan, Syed Fayyaz Hussain, Khubaib Mapara, Shafia Memon, Mohammed Mogri, Muniza Bana, Amna Malik, Sara Khan, Nadia A Khan

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate risk factors associated with mortality in patients hospitalized with CommunityAcquired Pneumonia (CAP) from a developing country.

METHODS: An observational study was conducted on adult patients admitted with a diagnosis of CAP from January 2002 to August 2003 at Aga Khan University hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Clinical records were reviewed for demographic characteristics, clinical and laboratory features, hospital course, and risk factors associated with mortality.

RESULTS: A total of 329 patients (187 males) were admitted with CAP. Two-third of patients had underlying co-morbid medical illnesses. Complications developed in 15.7% cases and the overall mortality rate was 11%. Risk factors …

Directing Diarrhoeal Disease Research Towards Disease-Burden Reduction, Margaret Kosek, Claudio F. Lanata, Robert E. Black, Damian G. Walker, John D. Snyder, Mohammed Abdus Salam, Dilip Mahalanabis, Olivier Fontaine, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Shinjini Bhatnagar, Igor Rudan

Woman and Child Health

Despite gains in controlling mortality relating to diarrhoeal disease, the burden of disease remains unacceptably high. To refocus health research to target disease-burden reduction as the goal of research in child health, the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative developed a systematic strategy to rank health research options. This priority-setting exercise included listing of 46 competitive research options in diarrhoeal disease and their critical and quantitative appraisal by 10 experts based on five criteria for research that reflect the ability of the research to be translated into interventions and achieved disease-burden reduction. These criteria included the answerability of the research …

Sero-Negative Celiac Disease With Dermatitis Herpetiformes: A Case Report., Mehreen Adhi, Asma Farooq, Syed Ali Hamid, Rabia Hasan, Salman Mamji, Akhtar Ali Baloch

Department of Surgery Docs

Introduction:We report a case of sero-negative celiac disease in Pakistan. Case Presentation: A 20-year-old female presented with papulovesicular rash for 15 years, diarrhea for 8 years, spasms of hands and twitching of face for 4-5 months. She had mild anemia, low vitamin-D3 and serum calcium. On exclusion of other causes of malabsorption, anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (immunoglobulin-A & immunoglobulin-G), anti-endomysial antibodies, total immunoglobulin-A levels and skin biopsy were performed, which were normal. Intestinal biopsy revealed subtotal villous atrophy. Patient was prescribed gluten-free diet, to which she responded with alleviation of symptoms.

Conclusions:

Negative serology should not rule out celiac disease, …

Does Unemployment Decrease Cancer Mortality?, Benjamin Torres Galick

Economics Honors Projects

Recent research indicates that healthier lifestyles during recessions decrease the most common U.S. mortalities, but not cancer. However, they combine specific cancer mortalities with different progressions into one, possibly obscuring cancer’s link to unemployment. This paper estimates a fixed-effects regression model on unemployment and the nine most prevalent cancers between 1988 and 2002 using state-level panel data. Five cancers and total cancer are procyclical, and suggest that unemployment affects both incidence and gestation for some cancers. Consistent with the medical literature, this paper contradicts previous economic research and suggests that behavioral factors significantly impact cancer mortality.

Molecular Epidemiology Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Mrsa), Ilene Bautista

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent cause of a myriad of infections in hospitals, healthcare facilities and community settings. It is often related to skin and soft tissue infection, but it can also cause other diseases varying from food poisoning to endocarditis and toxic shock syndrome. According to a study by Kuehnert et al. (2006) there has been a strong association between Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) carriage and risk factors for subsequent infections. Subsequent infection from S. aureus , including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infection, can be projected by looking at the presence of S. aureus nasal colonization. The purpose of …

Women's Health And Fitness Magazines: An Accurate Portrayal?, Jennifer M. Shymansky

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study is a content analysis examining the representation of health information, particularly the leading causes of death, in cover story headlines of one year of the top women's health and fitness magazines: Prevention , Shape , Fitness , Self , Health and Women's Health. The study is grounded in social responsibility theory, a normative media theory. The findings show that women's health and fitness magazines' cover story headlines predominately discuss diet and exercise for weight loss, rather than the leading causes of death facing women. This under representation of actual societal health concerns can limit the vast readerships' health …