Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Traumatic Brain Injury On Domestic Violence Survivors, Elizabeth Marie Martin

Honors Program Theses

Very little research exists on the topic of traumatic brain injury within the context of domestic violence. The purpose of this research is to increase the body of knowledge on traumatic brain injury in domestic violence survivors. More specifically, this research serves to understand the frequency of traumatic brain injury among domestic violence survivors with the subsequent foci of analyzing the relationship between traumatic brain injury and domestic violence, identifying the impact of traumatic brain injury on domestic violence survivors, and discovering strategies for serving domestic violence survivors who have sustained traumatic brain injury. A secondary data analysis of a …

Incomplete Polyp Resection During Colonoscopy—Results Of The Complete Adenoma Resection (Care) Study, Heiko Pohl, Amitabh Srivastava, Steve P. Bensen, Peter Anderson, Richard I. Rothstein, Stuart R. Gordon, L Campbell Levy, Arifa Toor, Todd A. Mackenzie, Thomas Rosch, Douglas J. Robertson

Dartmouth Scholarship

Although the adenoma detection rate is used as a measure of colonoscopy quality, there are limited data on the quality of endoscopic resection of detected adenomas. We determined the rate of incompletely resected neoplastic polyps in clinical practice.We performed a prospective study on 1427 patients who underwent colonoscopy at 2 medical centers and had at least 1 nonpedunculated polyp (5-20 mm). After polyp removal was considered complete macroscopically, biopsies were obtained from the resection margin. The main outcome was the percentage of incompletely resected neoplastic polyps (incomplete resection rate [IRR]) determined by the presence of neoplastic tissue in post-polypectomy biopsies. …

Transatrial Access For Left Atrial Pressure (Lap) Monitoring Line Placement In Arterial Switch Operation (Aso) In Neonates, Mohammad Irfan Akhtar, Mohammad Hamid, Muneer Amanullah, Khalid Ahsan

Department of Anaesthesia

Left Atrial pressure monitoring is a useful and accurate method to guide Left ventricle filling in the patients who undergo Arterial switch operation for transposition of great arteries. We have used a different technique in three TGA patients for LA pressure monitoring line placement. After cleaning and draping,right internal jugular vein (rt IJV) located through 22G venous cannula, guide wire was put in followed by sliding the 22Gx8cm vygon arterial catheter over the guide wire into the right atrium that was directed transatrially into LA by the operating surgeon during atrial septum repair. The catheter was secured by silk on …

Evaluation Of Echo Ps Positioning System In A Porcine Model Of Simulated Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair, Erin M. Hanna, Guy R. Voeller, J. Scott Roth, Jeffrey R. Scott, Darcy H. Gagne, David A. Iannitti

Surgery Faculty Publications

Purpose. Operative efficiency improvements for laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) have focused on reducing operative time while maintaining overall repair efficacy. Our objective was to evaluate procedure time and positioning accuracy of an inflatable mesh positioning device (Echo PS Positioning System), as compared to a standard transfascial suture technique, using a porcine model of simulated LVHR. Methods. The study population consisted of seventeen general surgeons (n = 17) that performed simulated LVHR on seventeen (n = 17) female Yorkshire pigs using two implantation techniques: (1) Ventralight ST Mesh + Echo PS Positioning System (Echo PS) and …

The Effectiveness Of An Abbreviated Training Program For Health Workers In Breast Cancer Awareness: Innovative Strategies For Resource Constrained Environments, Miriam Mutebi, Ronald Wasike, Ahmed Mushtaq, Aideed Kahie, Stephen Ntoburi

General Surgery, East Africa

Background: Breast cancer is characterized by late presentation and significant morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Breast screening aids in early detection of breast cancer. Nurses are uniquely placed to provide advocacy and screening in a resource limited environment.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of an abbreviated training program in breast cancer awareness on nurses at a tertiary hospital, in a resource constrained environment.

Methods: Using a statistical tool, the Solomon Model, 79 nurses were identified and divided into experimental and control groups. An abbreviated training intervention in breast cancer awareness was administered to the experimental group. Pre and post …

Correlates Of Consistent Condom Use Among Female Entertainment Workers In Shanghai, China: A Repeated Measures Analysis, Xiushi Yang, Guomei Xia

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Female entertainment workers (FEWs) in China are at increased risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, but correlates of their risky sexual behaviour remain poorly understood. Using data from a series of four surveys, this paper employs repeated measures analysis to identify individual and social correlates of consistent condom use among FEWs in Shanghai. Results reveal that both individual cognitive and social influence factors are statistically significant in their bivariate relationships to consistent condom use with a stable or non-stable partner; only prevention motivation and perceived self-efficacy in condom use remain significant in the multiple regressions. When individual and …

Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior As A Predictor Of Radiologic Technologists' Use Of Patient Radiation Protection Best Practices: A Regional Study, Brenda L. Boyd

Dissertations

Problem. A growing concern exists that patients are receiving an increase in radiation exposure while undergoing medical imaging exams. According to a March 2009 report by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), the U.S. population's total exposure to ionizing radiation has nearly doubled over the past two decades. With the introduction of new digital radiology equipment, patient dose is on the rise. Possible reasons for a radiologic technologist's behavior include: influence by availability or lack of equipment, policies, social pressure, attitudes, and a safety culture. Little research has been done in this area, specifically with applying a …

Event Related Potential Changes In A Two-Stimulus Auditory Oddball Task In Concussed College Athletes: A Linguistic Component, Paola G. Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

"Return to Play" decisions are done based on cognitive-communicative testing and clinical assessments; concussed athletes may benefit from electrophysiological testing for a more accurate representation of their recovery. The purpose of this study is to investigate the electrophysiological performance post-concussion analyzing the attentional differences using the traditional "oddball" paradigm with a CV linguistic component. Participants for this study were 6 male college athletes with a history of concussion and 10 participants with no history of concussion (controls). Athletes were evaluated using event-related potentials (ERPs) that were recorded during a consonant-vowel (CV) auditory oddball task. Both the P300a and P300b components …

Plan Dose Evaluation Of Three Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy Planning (3d-Crt) Of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (Npc): Experience Of A Tertiary Care University Hospital In Pakistan, Ahmed Nadeem Abbasi, Asim Hafiz, Nasir Ali, Khurshid Ahmed Khan

Department of Radiation Oncology

Background: Radiation therapy is the mainstay of treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Importance of tumor coverage and challenges posed by its unique and critical location are well evident. Therefore we aimed to evaluate our radiation treatment plan through dose volume histograms (DVHs) to find planning target volume (PTV) dose coverage and factors affecting it.MATERIALS AND Methods: This retrospective study covered 45 histologically proven nasopharyngeal cancer patients who were treated with definitive 3D-CRT and chemotherapy between Feb 2006 to March 2013 at the Department of Oncology, Section Radiation Oncology ,Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. DVH was evaluated to find numbers of …

Temporal Trends Of Molecular Markers Associated With Artemether- Lumefantrine Tolerance/Resistance In Bagamoyo District, Tanzania, M. Malmberg, B. Ngasala, P.E. Ferreira, E. Larsson, I. Jovel, A. Hjalmarsson, M. Petzold, Zul Premji, J.P. Gil, A. Bjorkman, A. Martensson

Pathology, East Africa

Background: Development and spread of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) constitutes a major threat to recent global malaria control achievements. Surveillance of molecular markers could act as an early warning system of ACT-resistance before clinical treatment failures are apparent. The aim of this study was to analyse temporal trends of established genotypes associated with artemether-lumefantrine tolerance/resistance before and after its deployment as first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria in Tanzania 2006.

Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the P. falciparum multidrug resistance gene 1 (pfmdr1) N86Y, Y184F, D1246Y and P. falciparum chloroquine transporter gene (pfcrt) K76T were analysed from …

Intronic Non-Cg Dna Hydroxymethylation And Alternative Mrna Splicing In Honey Bees, Pablo Cingolani, Xiaoyi Cao, Radhika S. Khetani, Chieh-Chun Chen, Melissa Coon, Alya'a Sammak, Aliccia Bollig-Fischer, Susan Land, Yun Huang, Matthew E. Hudson, Mark D. Garfinkel, Sheng Zhong, Gene E. Robinson, Douglas M. Ruden

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Previous whole-genome shotgun bisulfite sequencing experiments showed that DNA cytosine methylation in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) is almost exclusively at CG dinucleotides in exons. However, the most commonly used method, bisulfite sequencing, cannot distinguish 5-methylcytosine from 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, an oxidized form of 5-methylcytosine that is catalyzed by the TET family of dioxygenases. Furthermore, some analysis software programs under-represent non-CG DNA methylation and hydryoxymethylation for a variety of reasons. Therefore, we used an unbiased analysis of bisulfite sequencing data combined with molecular and bioinformatics approaches to distinguish 5-methylcytosine from 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. By doing this, we have performed the first whole …

The Ticking Of The “Biological Clock”: Worry About Future Fertility In Nulliparous Women, Karen E. Kersting

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Title: The Ticking of the “Biological Clock”: Worry about Future Fertility in Nulliparous Women

By: Karen Kersting, M.A., M.S.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013.

Major Director: Kathleen M. Ingram, J.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology

Department of Psychology

Modern women are waiting until later in their lives to have children than women of previous generations, a trend influenced by a number of factors including financial stability, dating norms, and career goals and responsibilities. As women age, their fertility may decline …

Comparing Margin Diameter And Margin Index In Predicting Residual Disease Following Partial Mastectomy, P85, Daniel F. Barnas Md, Aaron D. Bleznak Md, Facs, Anna Widmyer Md, Elizabeth Dellers Md, Heiwon Chung Md, Facs

Department of Surgery

No abstract provided.

A Review Of Comparison Of Complications Of Vaginal Hysterectomy With And Without Concomitant Surgery For Sui: A 5 Years’ Experience At A Tertiary Care Hospital Of Pakistan, Raheela Mohsin Rizvi, Munnazza Akhtar, Nadeem F. Zuberi

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objective. The study was performed to review the complications of surgery for POP with or without surgery for SUI. This included the need for second procedure two years after the primary surgery. Study Design. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional comparative study at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) was used to identify women who underwent vaginal hysterectomy with anterior/posterior repair alone and those with concomitant tension-free vaginal tape surgery for urodynamic stress incontinence. Results. The 28 cases of VH/repair combined with TVT were compared for complications with 430 cases of VH …

Adolescent Athletes With Type 1 Diabetes: Experiences With Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion, Regina Tow

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent athletes with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) face unique challenges when compared to peers with and without diabetes. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) provides a method of insulin delivery that can enhance flexibility in insulin regimens and lifestyle that may be especially appealing to the adolescent athlete. No studies have explored the impact of athletics in this population. This descriptive qualitative study explored and described the experiences of adolescent athletes using CSII as their primary insulin delivery method, with a focus on athletic participation and performance.

The purposeful sample consisted of four adolescent athletes, ages 13 to 15 years with …

Effect Of Blood Collection Practices On Emergency Department Blood Specimen Rejection Rates, Barbara K. Vernoski

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The practice of obtaining blood as part of the placement of a new peripheral venous access device (p-VAD) is a frequent practice in the emergency department (ED). Of the concerns related to this practice is the possibility of laboratory specimen rejection due to p-VAD catheter size, use of the wrong collection device, and the absence of a standardized collection process. The objective of this study, therefore, was to examine the effect of the use of evidence-based venipuncture and p-VAD blood collection protocols on the rejection rate of blood specimens drawn by staff in the adult areas of an urban academic …

Characterization Of Brer Interaction With The Bile Response Promoters Breab And Brer In Vibrio Cholerae, Francisca A. Cerda-Maira, Gabriela Kovacikova, Brooke A. Jude, Karen Skorupski, Ronald Taylor

Dartmouth Scholarship

The Vibrio cholerae BreR protein is a transcriptional repressor of the breAB efflux system operon, which encodes proteins involved in bile resistance. In a previous study (F. A. Cerda-Maira, C. S. Ringelberg, and R. K. Taylor, J. Bacteriol. 190:7441-7452, 2008), we used gel mobility shift assays to determine that BreR binds at two independent binding sites at the breAB promoter and a single site at its own promoter. Here it is shown, by DNase I footprinting and site-directed mutagenesis, that BreR is able to bind at a distal and a proximal site in the breAB promoter. However, only one of …

Relation Between Optimism And Lipids In Midlife, Julia K. Boehm, David R. Williams, Eric B. Rimm, Carol Ryff, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This research examined optimism’s relationship with total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides. The hypothesis that optimism is associated with a healthier lipid profile was tested. Participants were 990 mostly white men and women from the Midlife in the United States study who were on average 55.1 years old. Optimism was assessed by self-report with the Life Orientation Test. A fasting blood sample was used to assess serum lipid levels. Linear and logistic regression models examined the cross-sectional association between optimism and lipids accounting for covariates such as demographic characteristics (e.g., education) and …

Role Of Ultrasound In Characterization Of Ovarian Masses, Saima Hafeez, Saira Sufian, Quratulain Merchant, Yasir Jamil, Imrana Masroor

Department of Radiology

Background: Ovarian cancer is the second most common malignancy in Pakistani women, accounting for 4% of all cancers in the female population. The aim of this study was to determine sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and 95% confidence intervals for ultrasound in characterization of ovarian masses in patients presenting at public and private tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan.MATERIALS AND Methods: We adopted a cross-sectional analytical study design to retrospectively collect data from January 2009-11 from medical records of two tertiary care hospitals. Using a non-probability purposive sampling technique, we recruited a sample of 86 women aged between …

Open Versus Laparoscopic Hiatal Hernia Repair., Terrence M. Fullum, Tolulope A. Oyetunji, Gezzer Ortega, Daniel D. Tran, Ian M. Woods, Olusola Obayomi-Davies, Orighomisan Pessu, Stephanie R. Downing, Edward E. Cornwell

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: The literature reports the efficacy of the laparoscopic approach to paraesophageal hiatal hernia repair. However, its adoption as the preferred surgical approach and the risks associated with paraesophageal hiatal hernia repair have not been reviewed in a large database.

METHOD: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample dataset was queried from 1998 to 2005 for patients who underwent repair of a complicated (the entire stomach moves into the chest cavity) versus uncomplicated (only the upper part of the stomach protrudes into the chest) paraesophageal hiatal hernia via the laparoscopic, open abdominal, or open thoracic approach. A multivariate analysis was performed controlling for …

Preoperative Statin Therapy In Cardiac Surgery Is More Effective In Patients Who Display Preoperative Activation Of The Inflammatory System, José Martínez-Comendador, José Rubio Alvarez, Juan Sierra, Elvis Teijeira, Belén Adrio

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We sought to determine whether preoperative statin treatment is more effective in reducing, after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, systemic inflammatory response and myocardial damage markers in patients who have elevated preoperative interleukin-6 levels than in patients who have normal preoperative interleukin-6 levels.

The study involved a prospective cohort of 164 patients who underwent coronary and valvular surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. There were 2 study groups: group A (n = 60), patients with elevated preoperative interleukin-6 levels; and group B (n = 104), patients with normal preoperative interleukin-6 levels. Each group was subdivided according to whether patients were (group 1) …

Predicting Early Death After Cardiovascular Surgery By Using The Texas Heart Institute Risk Scoring Technique (Thirst), Saurabh Sanon, Vei-Vei Lee, Macarthur A Elayda, Sreedevi Gondi, James J Livesay, George J Reul, James M Wilson

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Preoperative risk-prediction models are an important tool in contemporary surgical practice. We developed a risk-scoring technique for predicting in-hospital death for cardiovascular surgery patients. From our institutional database, we obtained data on 21,120 patients admitted from 1995 through 2007. The outcome of interest was early death (in-hospital or within 30 days of surgery). To identify mortality predictors, multivariate logistic regression was performed on data from 14,030 patients from 1995 through 2002 and risk scores were computed to stratify patients (low-, medium-, and high-risk). A recalibrated model was then created from the original risk scores and validated on data from 7,090 …

Presence Of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase In Inflammatory Breast Cancer., Fredika M Robertson, Emanuel F Petricoin Iii, Steven J Van Laere, Francois Bertucci, Khoi Chu, Sandra V Fernandez, Zhaomei Mu, Katherine Alpaugh, Jianming Pei, Rita Circo, Julia Wulfkuhle, Zaiming Ye, Kimberly M Boley, Hui Liu, Ricardo Moraes, Xuejun Zhang, Ruggero Demaria, Sanford H Barsky, Guoxian Sun, Massimo Cristofanilli

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Although Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is recognized as the most metastatic variant of locally advanced breast cancer, the molecular basis for the distinct clinical presentation and accelerated program of metastasis of IBC is unknown. Reverse phase protein arrays revealed activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and biochemically-linked downstream signaling molecules including JAK1/STAT3, AKT, mTor, PDK1, and AMPKβ in pre-clinical models of IBC. To evaluate the clinical relevance of ALK in IBC, analysis of 25 IBC patient tumors using the FDA approved diagnostic test for ALK genetic abnormalities was performed. These studies revealed that 20/25 (80%) had …

Evaluation Of Higher Plant Virus Resistance Genes In The Green Alga, Chlorella Variabilis Nc64a, During The Early Phase Of Infection With Paramecium Bursaria Chlorella Virus-1, Janet M. Rowe, David D. Dunigan, Guillaume Blanc, James R. Gurnon, Yuannan Xia, James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

With growing industrial interest in algae plus their critical roles in aquatic systems, the need to understand the effects of algal pathogens is increasing. We examined a model algal host–virus system, Chlorella variabilis NC64A and virus, PBCV-1. C. variabilis encodes 375 homologs to genes involved in RNA silencing and in response to virus infection in higher plants. Illumina RNA-Seq data showed that 325 of these homologs were expressed in healthy and early PBCV-1 infected (≤60 min) cells. For each of the RNA silencing genes to which homologs were found, mRNA transcripts were detected in healthy and infected cells. C. variabilis …

Role Of Human Metapneumovirus, Influenza A Virus And Respiratory Syncytial Virus In Causing Who-Defined Severe Pneumonia In Children In A Developing Country, Asad Ali, Asif Raza Khowaja, Maaman Zahoor Bashir, Fatima Aziz, Sultan Mustafa, Anita Zaidi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objective: The role of respiratory viruses in causing severe, life threatening pneumonia in children in developing countries is not well established. Our study aims to determine the role of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), influenza A virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children, aged 6 weeks to 2 years, hospitalized with WHO defined severe pneumonia (tachypnea plus any general danger sign or chest in-drawing) at a public sector hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: This study was conducted from November 2010 to September 2011 at Abbassi Shaheed Hospital, a large public tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Children admitted with WHO-defined severe …

Setting Research Priorities For Preconception Care In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: Aiming To Reduce Maternal And Child Mortality And Morbidity, Sohni Dean, Igor Rudan, Fernando Althabe, Aimee Webb Girard, Christopher Howson, Ana Langer, Joy Lawn, Mary-Elizabeth Reeve, Katherine C. Teela, Mireille Toledano

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Surgical Outcomes Of Pediatric Patients With Ventricular Septal Defects In A Tertiary Referral Center In Pakistan: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Omair Bushra, Muneer Amanullah, Atiq Mehnaz

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: The nature of complications and outcomes for Ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair differ between developed and developing countries. Understanding these differences can help optimize patient management according to geographical location.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors associated with in-hospital peri- and post-surgical complications of VSD repair in a developing country.
Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting: A tertiary referral center. Participants: 117 patients under 18 years of age admitted for surgical closure of ventricular septal defect between July 1998 and June 2008.
Main Outcomes: Only patients with isolated VSD or VSD associated with …

A Study To Evaluate The Acceptability, Feasibility And Impact Of Packaged Interventions (“Diarrhea Pack”) For Prevention And Treatment Of Childhood Diarrhea In Rural Pakistan, Atif Habib, Sajid Soofi, Kamran Sadiq, Tariq Samejo, Musawar Hussain, Mushtaq Mirani, Asmatullah Rehmatullah, Imran Ahmed, Zulfiqar A Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Diarrhea remains one of the leading public health issues in developing countries and is a major contributor in morbidity and mortality in children under five years of age. Interventions such as ORS, Zinc, water purification and improved hygiene and sanitation can significantly reduce the diarrhea burden but their coverage remains low and has not been tested as packaged intervention before. This study attempts to evaluate the package of evidence based interventions in a “Diarrhea Pack” through first level health care providers at domiciliary level in community based settings. This study sought to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and impact of …

Successful Surgical Intervention Of Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage In The Third Decade Of Life, Awais Ashfaq, Nilay Shah, Mubashir Z. Khan, Mehnaz Atiq, Muneer Amanullah

Department of Surgery Docs

Total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage (TAPVD) accounts for approximately 1.5% of all congenital heart diseases. It is usually diagnosed in the neonatal period and is rarely seen in adults. We report an unusual case of a patient with TAPVD who was successfully treated at the age of 28 years. We believe that this is the oldest person in the South Asian literature to undergo surgical correction of TAPVD.

Clinical Outcomes Of Surgically Corrected Atrial Septal Defects, Waleed Tariq Siddiqui, Shazia Parveen, Maria Tariq Siddiqui, Muneer Amanullah

Department of Surgery Docs

Objective: To examine the outcomes of surgical repair of atrial septal defects in paediatric and adult patients.
Methods: The retrospective study comprised data of 84 patients who had undergone surgical correction of atrial septal defect at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, between June 2006 and December 2011. All patients with isolated atrial septal defect (ostium secundum, ostium primum and sinus venosus with or without partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection) were included. Clinical and transthoracic echocardiographic data was reviewed. SPSS 17 was used for statistical analysis.
Results: There were no deaths in the study population. The mean time for follow-up …