Digital Commons Network^™

Intracardiac Echocardiogram In Patient With Patent Foramen Ovale And Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Hassam Saif Md, Shameer Ahmed Md, Bilal Ayub Md, Bryan W. Kluck Do

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Early Prediction Of Trauma Patient Discharge Disposition, Ronald Beaulieu, Priti Parikh, Akpofure Peter Ekeh, Ronald J. Markert, Mary C. Mccarthy

Department of Surgery Faculty Publications

Objective: Do pre-injury and early hospital admission characteristics help predict patient discharge disposition? Background: Total one-year treatment cost of adult major trauma in the United States is estimated at $30 billion annually, with 58% of the cost due to the index hospitalization. Increased length of stay (LOS) increases morbidity and delays rehabilitation. Prediction of discharge to a location other than home through univariate risk factor methodology and development of a multivariable binary logistic regression model allows early discharge planning. Methods: A one-year Level 1 trauma center registry dataset was used to develop a predictive model of discharge disposition using 2836 …

Converging Evidence For The Processing Costs Associated With Ambiguous Quantifier Comprehension., Corey T Mcmillan, Danielle Coleman, Robin Clark, Tsao-Wei Liang, Rachel G Gross, Murray Grossman

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Traditional neuroanatomic models of language comprehension have emphasized a core language network situated in peri-Sylvian cortex. More recent evidence appears to extend the neuroanatomic network beyond peri-Sylvian cortex to encompass other aspects of sentence processing. In this study, we evaluate the neuroanatomic basis for processing the ambiguity in doubly-quantified sentences. For example, a sentence like "All the dogs jumped in a lake" can be interpreted with a collective interpretation (e.g., several dogs jumping into a single lake) or a distributive interpretation (e.g., several dogs each jumping into a different lake). In Experiment 1, we used BOLD fMRI to investigate neuroanatomic …

Com Outlook Spring 2013, College Of Osteopathic Medicine

COM Outlook

No abstract provided.

Patient-Driven Resource Planning Of A Health Care Facility Evacuation, Bruno P. Petinaux, Kabir Yadav

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: The evacuation of a health care facility is a complex undertaking, especially if done in an immediate fashion, ie, within minutes. Patient factors, such as continuous medical care needs, mobility, and comprehension, will affect the efficiency of the evacuation and translate into evacuation resource needs. Prior evacuation resource estimates are 30 years old.

Methods: Utilizing a cross-sectional survey of charge nurses of the clinical units in an urban, academic, adult trauma health care facility (HCF), the evacuation needs of hospitalized patients were assessed periodically over a two-year period.

Results: Survey data were collected on 2,050 patients. Units with patients …

Slow Birth Of New-Wave Medical Journalism, Vivian Mcalister

Data and Test Instruments

Half a century has passed since Sir Theodore Fox reflected upon his recently completed 40-year tenure as editor of The Lancet. He titled his farewell lecture series “Crisis in communication: the functions and future of medical journals.”1 Even though the number of journals had dramatically increased by the 1960s, submissions had proliferated to such an extent that Fox’s principal regret was the increasing fraction he was forced to refuse. In the late 19th century, the surgeon general of the United States was able to catalogue the entire body of medical knowledge up to that time in a volume that would …

The Effect Of Network Transitions On Spontaneous Activity And Sycnhrony In Devloping Neural Networks, Jude P. J. Savarraj

Doctoral Dissertations

Connectivity patterns of developing neural circuits and the effects of its dynamics on network behavior, particularly the emergence of spontaneous activity and synchrony, are not clear. We attempt to quantify anatomical connectivity patterns of rat cortical cultures during different stages of development. By culturing the networks on dishes embedded with micro electrode arrays, we simultaneously record electrical activity from multiple regions of the developing network and monitor its electrical behavior, particularly its tendency to fire spontaneously and to synchronize under certain conditions. We investigate possible correlations between changes in the network connectivity patterns and spontaneous electrical activity and synchrony. Cocultures …

Burn Disaster Management Planning: A Preparedness Toolkit (Poster), Brian S. Joho Msn, Rn, Daniel D. Lozano Md, Patrick Pagella Msn, Arnp, Michael Wargo Mba, Rn, Hamed Amani Md, Facs

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Coital Frequency And Condom Use In Monogamous And Concurrent Sexual Relationships In Cape Town, South Africa, Wim Delva, Fei Meng, Roxanne Beauclair, Nele Deprez, Marleen Temmerman, Alex Welte, Niel Hens

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Introduction: A decreased frequency of unprotected sex during episodes of concurrent relationships may dramatically reduce the role of concurrency in accelerating the spread of HIV. Such a decrease could be the result of coital dilution - the reduction in per-partner coital frequency from additional partners - and/or increased condom use during concurrency. To study the effect of concurrency on the frequency of unprotected sex, we examined sexual behaviour data from three communities with high HIV prevalence around Cape Town, South Africa.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey from June 2011 to February 2012 using audio computer-assisted self-interviewing to reconstruct one-year …

Les Enfants Dans Les Coins: Une Comparaison D’Autisme En France Et Aux Etats Unis, Danya J. M. Rubin

Scripps Senior Theses

The year 2012 was a year of great controversy surrounding autism in France. Thus it is an ideal time for an investigation of the treatment of and attitudes about autism in France, specifically in comparison with the United States. This investigation encompass several specific categories, and the Freudian psychoanalytic method against the behavior modification method, the French education system and the identification of autism, "Maternal Madness" - the connection between sexism and autism, the philosophy of humanity and the history of medical experimentation and psychiatry in France. This paper questions how is it that all these categories influence the opinions …

Prostate Specific Antigen As A Risk Factor For Skeletal Metastases In Black African Men With Prostate Cancer, Ayman Mahmood Qureshi

Master of Medicine in Imaging and Diagnostic Radiology

Background: Prostate cancer is one of the commonest cancers in men worldwide. Several recognised risk factors are associated with this disease, amongst them, race. Despite this, there is a paucity of data in the native African setting. The skeletal system is a common site of metastasis, its incidence increasing with increase in prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. Bone scans are used to detect skeletal metastases. Its use in prostate cancer patients with abnormal but low PSA has been subject of debate. Objectives: To test the association of PSA levels with skeletal metastasis in men with histologically proven prostate cancer. Methodology: …

Cultural Diversity And Views On Alzheimer Disease In Older African Americans., Barry W. Rovner, Robin J. Casten, Lynn F. Harris

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Cultural constructs prevalent in older African Americans may influence their risk perceptions and knowledge of Alzheimer disease (AD). To examine this issue, we administered 3 sociocultural scales, the AD Knowledge Scale, and a Risk Perception questionnaire to 271 older African Americans who were recruited from a large community senior center and local churches. Higher Present Time Orientation was significantly related to perceptions of having little control over risks to health (P=0.004), God's Will in determining AD (P=0.001), and lower AD knowledge (P

Anti-Helicobacter Pylori Activity And Inhibition Of Helicobacter Pylori-Induced Release Of Il-8 In Ags Cells By Plant Extracts, Javed Yakoob, Zaigham Abbas, Rustam Khan, Muhammad Waqas Usman, Saeed Hamid, Safia Awan, Kanza Shamim, Syed Faisal Zaidi, Toshiro Sugiyama, Wasim Jafri

Section of Gastroenterology

Plants used in popular diet were studied for anti-Helicobacter pylori activity and their effect on the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) from H. pylori infected gastric epithelial cells. Extracts were prepared of Allium sativum (A. sativum), Cuminum cyminum (C. cyminum),Piper nigrum (P. nigrum) and their mix in two different dilutions. AGS cell line and H. pyloristrains were used for co-culture experiments. Extracts bactericidal activity was determined by a viable colony count. ELISA (Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) was used to determine IL-8 expression. DNA extracted from bacterial cells was used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) …

Family Planning Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Among Married Couples In Jimma Zone, Ethiopia, Tizta Tilahun, Gily Coene, Stanley Luchters, Wondwosen Kassahun, Els Leye, Marleen Temmerman, Olivier Degomme

Population Health, East Africa

Background: Understanding why people do not use family planning is critical to address unmet needs and to increase contraceptive use. According to the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey 2011, most women and men had knowledge on some family planning methods but only about 29% of married women were using contraceptives. 20% women had an unmet need for family planning. We examined knowledge, attitudes and contraceptive practice as well as factors related to contraceptive use in Jimma zone, Ethiopia.

Methods: Data were collected from March to May 2010 among 854 married couples using a multi-stage sampling design. Quantitative data based on …

Social Franchising And Vouchers To Promote Long-Term Methods Of Family Planning In Rural Pakistan: A Qualitative Stocktaking With Stakeholders, Syed Khurram Azmat, Ghulam Mustafa, Waqas Hameed, Jamshaid Asghar, Aftab Ahmed, Babar T. Shaikh

Community Health Sciences

Background: The overall use of modern contraception in Pakistan is quite low, especially in rural areas. Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of social franchising (SF) approaches in increasing access to modern contraception and improving the quality of healthcare in resource-poor areas in Asia and Africa. Drawing on best practices in SF, the Marie Stopes Society (MSS) implemented an SF model in certain rural areas of Pakistan to increase access to affordable and quality family planning (FP) services. The model was branded as Suraj (sun) and complemented with an innovative voucher scheme for intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs). This paper describes …

Perception Of Disease Risk And Vulnerability As A Function Of Proximity To National Park Boundaries In East Africa, Irene Bridget Feretti

Honors Theses and Capstones

Studies suggest households closest to parks and protected areas (PAs) are more likely to sustain park-related losses, but the relationship between human sickness and PAs has not been fully explored. Existing literature primarily focuses on human-wildlife conflicts (i.e. crop raiding) and the potential for zoonotic disease spillover and emergence at the human-livestock-wildlife interface at PA boundaries. Understanding local perceptions of disease risk and vulnerability is essential for assessing human health relative to conservation areas. This understanding will promote better-informed consideration of human health impacts in decision making for conservation. Data from surveys taken at 301 households around Kibale National Park …

Improving Health Outcomes For Children (Ihoc) First Steps Phase I Initiative: Improving Immunizations For Children And Adolescents, Kimberley S. Fox Mpa, Carolyn E. Gray Mph

Population Health & Health Policy

This report, co-authored by Kimberley Fox and Carolyn Gray, provides a final evaluation of the initial phase of First STEPS (Strengthening Together Early Preventive Services), a learning collaborative led by Maine Quality Counts to support 24 pediatric and family practices in improving their childhood immunization rates. The evaluation found that all participating practices had higher immunization rates after participating in First STEPS. On average, overall child immunization rates increased by 5.1% at 12 months and 7.1% at 15 months, and average immunization rates across practices increased significantly from 74.2% to 81.3%. Practices also reported significant improvement in the use of …

Bapineuzumab Alters Aβ Composition: Implications For The Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis And Anti-Amyloid Immunotherapy, Alex E. Roher, David H. Cribbs, Ronald C. Kim, Chera L. Maarouf, Charisse M. Whiteside, Tyler A. Kokjohn, Ian D. Daugs, Elizabeth Head, Carolyn Liebsack, Geidy Serrano, Christine Belden, Marwan N. Sabbagh, Thomas G. Beach

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The characteristic neuropathological changes associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other lines of evidence support the amyloid cascade hypothesis. Viewing amyloid deposits as the prime instigator of dementia has now led to clinical trials of multiple strategies to remove or prevent their formation. We performed neuropathological and biochemical assessments of 3 subjects treated with bapineuzumab infusions. Histological analyses were conducted to quantify amyloid plaque densities, Braak stages and the extent of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Amyloid-β (Aβ) species in frontal and temporal lobe samples were quantified by ELISA. Western blots of amyloid-β precursor protein (AβPP) and its C-terminal (CT) fragments …

Lymphotoxin-Α Is A Novel Adiponectin Expression Suppressor Following Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion., Wayne Bond Lau, Yanqing Zhang, Jianli Zhao, Baojiang Liu, Xiaoliang Wang, Yuexing Yuan, Theodore A. Christopher, Bernard Lopez, Erhe Gao, Walter J. Koch, Xin L. Ma, Yajing Wang

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Recent clinical observations demonstrate adiponectin (APN), an adipocytokine with potent cardioprotective actions, is significantly reduced following myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R). However, mechanisms responsible for MI/R-induced hypoadiponectinemia remain incompletely understood. Adult male mice were subjected to 30-min MI followed by varying reperfusion periods. Adipocyte APN mRNA and protein expression and plasma APN and TNFα concentrations were determined. APN expression/production began to decline 3 h after reperfusion (reaching nadir 12 h after reperfusion), returning to control levels 7 days after reperfusion. Plasma TNFα levels began to increase 1 h after reperfusion, peaking at 3 h and returning to control levels 24 h after …

United States Acculturation And Cancer Patients’ End-Of-Life Care, Alexi A. Wright, Heather Stieglitz, Yankel M. Kupersztoch, M. Elizabeth Paulk, Yookyung Kim, Ingrid T. Katz, Francisco Munoz, Rachel B. Jimenez, Jan Mutchler, Lorna Rivera, Anthony L. Back, Holly G. Prigerson

Women’s and Gender Studies Faculty Publication Series

Background: Culture shapes how people understand illness and death, but few studies examine whether acculturation influences patients’ end-of-life treatment preferences and medical care.

Methods and Findings: In this multi-site, prospective, longitudinal cohort study of terminally-ill cancer patients and their caregivers (n = 171 dyads), trained interviewers administered the United States Acculturation Scale (USAS). The USAS is a 19- item scale developed to assess the degree of ‘‘Americanization’’ in first generation or non-US born caregivers of terminally-ill cancer patients. We evaluated the internal consistency, concurrent, criterion, and content validity of the USAS. We also examined whether caregivers’ USAS scores predicted patients’ …

Broadening Access To Medical Care During A Severe Influenza Pandemic: The Cdc Nurse Triage Line Project., Lisa M. Koonin, Dan Hanfling

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

The impact of a severe influenza pandemic could be overwhelming to hospital emergency departments, clinics, and medical offices if large numbers of ill people were to simultaneously seek care. While current planning guidance to reduce surge on hospitals and other medical facilities during a pandemic largely focuses on improving the “supply” of medical care services, attention on reducing “demand” for such services is needed by better matching patient needs with alternative types and sites of care. Based on lessons learned during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its partners are currently exploring the acceptability …

Medical Education Digest, Vol. 15 No. 2 (March/April 2013), Nova Southeastern University

Medical Education Digest

No abstract provided.

First Steps Phase I Initiative: Improving Immunizations For Children And Adolescents, Kimberley S. Fox Mpa, Carolyn E. Gray Mph

Population Health & Health Policy

This evalution report, authored by research staff at the USM Muskie School, assesses the change in immunization rates in participating pediatric and family practices that serve a high volume of children insured by MaineCare (Maine's Medicaid system). The authors also summarize lessons learned in implementing changes in practices and challenges in using the immunization measures at the practice-level to inform quality improvement.

Anatomical Variations Of Nose And Para-Nasal Sinuses; Ct Scan Review, Mohammad Adeel, Muhammad Shaheryar Ahmed Rajput, Shabbir Akhter, Mubasher Ikram, Asif Arain, Yasir Jameel Khattak

Section of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery

Objective: To determine the frequency of anatomic variations on computed tomography scan of para-nasal sinuses.
Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised computed tomography scans of 77 patients who had presented between October 2007 and March 2011. All the scans were reviewed using Picture Archiving Communication System computer software. The scans were reviewed for the presence of deviated nasal septum, paradoxical middle turbinate, Haller cell, Onodi cell, and pneumatisation of the middle turbinate and uncinate process.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 31±13.15 years. One or more types of anatomical …

Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic Overhead Athlete Scores In Asymptomatic Professional Baseball Pitchers., Matthew J Kraeutler, Michael G Ciccotti, Christopher C Dodson, Robert W Frederick, Brian Cammarota, Steven B. Cohen

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: The Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (KJOC) Shoulder and Elbow score is a subjective questionnaire that has been validated and been shown to be more specific in overhead athletes than the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scale. The purpose of this study was to determine a mean KJOC score and reasonable range of KJOC scores within which a healthy asymptomatic professional baseball pitcher will fall. It was hypothesized that healthy professional baseball pitchers would have very high KJOC scores.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: KJOC questionnaires were given to all healthy pitchers before the start of the season at all levels in 1 …

Role Of Garlic Usage In Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: An Evidence-Based Approach, Waris Qidwai, Tabinda Ashfaq

Department of Family Medicine

Introduction:.Rapidly growing prevalence of cardiovascular disease is a major threat for the developed as well as developing world warranting urgent need of intervention. Complementary and alternative medicines are gaining popularity among general population because of their safety profile and easy administration. Garlic, in particular, is considered to be one of the best disease-preventive foods because of its potent and widespread effects. This study was done to find out the role of garlic usage in cardiovascular disease prevention.

Methodology : .Major databases including Google, PubMed,MEDLINE, and Cochrane library view were used for the literature search. Clinical trials conducted on humans assessing …

Cell Death Pathways In Directly Irradiated Cells And Cells Exposed To Medium From Irradiated Cells, K.K. Jella, Amaya Garcia, Brendan Mcclean, Hugh Byrne, Fiona Lyng

Articles

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare levels of apoptosis, necrosis, mitotic cell death and senescence after treatment with both direct radiation and irradiated cell conditioned medium. Materials and methods: Human keratinocytes (HaCaT cell line) were irradiated (0.005, 0.05 and 0.5 Gy) using a cobalt 60 teletherapy unit. For bystander experiments, the medium was harvested from donor HaCaT cells one hour after irradiation and transferred to recipient HaCaT cells. Clonogenic assay, apoptosis, necrosis, mitotic cell death, senescence and cell cycle analysis were measured in both directly irradiated cells and bystander cells Results: A reduction in cell survival was …

Prevalence Of Hypertension In Healthy School Children In Pakistan And Its Relationship With Body Mass Index, Proteinuria And Hematuria, Arshalooz Jamila Rahman, Farah Naz Qamar, Sohail Ashraf, Zubair Ali Khowaja, Shafaq Binte Tariq, Hira Naeem

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

To determine the prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) in healthy school Pakistani children and its association with high body mass index (BMI), asymptomatic hematuria and proteinuria, we studied 661 public school children and measured their body weight, height and BP and urine dipstick for hematuria performed on a single occasion. Hypertension (BP >95 th centile) and pre-hypertension (BP >90 th centile) were defined based on the US normative BP tables. Over-weight and obesity were defined according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of BMI. The mean age of the children was 14 ± 1.3 years. The mean BMI …

Personal And Relationship Challenges Of Adults With Type 1 Diabetes, Paula M. Trief Phd, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Jacqueline A. Dimmock Phd, Patricia J. Forken Ba, Ruth S. Weinstock Md, Phd

Faculty Publications

Little is known about the psychosocial challenges of adults living with type 1 diabetes or its impact on partner relationships. This qualitative study was undertaken to gain better understanding of these issues.

Functional Improvement In Older Adults After A Falls Prevention Pilot Study, Pei-Fen J. Chang, Yong-Fang Kuo

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Falls are a costly, disabling, and life-threatening risk in the elderly. Improvements in physical function, balance, lower extremity strength, and health-related quality of life are hypothesized to help mitigate fall risk. In this pilot study, six women and men with an average age of 81 years participated in a 6-week exercise and education program created to reduce risk of falls. Evaluations were made at baseline and at 6 weeks on four tests: the Functional Status Questionnaire, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Six-minute Walk Test, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life–BREF 26-question test. Scores indicated significant improvement in …