Digital Commons Network^™

Social Mobilization Strategy, Family Advancement For Life And Health (Falah)

Reproductive Health

This document outlines social mobilization strategies at the national and community levels of the Family Advancement for Life and Health (FALAH) project in Pakistan. The project aims to improve the health and well-being of women, men, and their children through tackling the major obstacles in adoption of birth spacing to improve maternal and child health outcomes and family well-being, by increasing knowledge of the benefits of birth spacing as well as knowledge, increased demand for, and effective use of contraceptive methods. The strategy aims to achieve a significant increase in couples’ knowledge and understanding of the need for and benefits …

Characterization Of Species C Human Adenovirus Serotype 6 (Ad6), Eric A. Weaver, Reeti Khare, Mathew L. Hillestad, Donna Palmer, Philip Ng, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Adenovirus serotype (Ad5) is the most studied Ad. Ad1, 2, and 6 are also members of species C Ad and are presumed to have biologies similar to Ad5. In this work, we have compared the ability of Ad1, 2, 5, and 6 to infect liver and muscle after intravenous and intramuscular injection. We found that Ad6 was surprisingly the most potent at liver gene delivery and that Ad1 and Ad2 were markedly weaker than Ad5 and 6. To understand these differences, we sequenced the Ad6 genome. This revealed that the Ad6 fiber protein is surprisingly three shaft repeats shorter than …

Provider-Related Barriers To Accessing Emergency Contraception In Developing Countries: A Literature Review, Katherine Williams

Reproductive Health

This systematic literature review aims to identify and describe existing provider-related barriers to accessing emergency contraception (EC) in developing countries, as well as the prevalence of these barriers and documented research programs to address them. Findings from this review will contribute to specific recommendations on provider attitudes and behaviors related to emergency contraception and inform the development of a global advocacy strategy to increase access to the method.

Late-Presenting Left-Sided Morgagni Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia In A 9-Year-Old Male, Jennifer M. Kim, Marisa Couluris, Bruce M. Schnapf

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Congenital diaphragmatic hernias are common, primarily occurring through the foramen of Bochdalek. However, in contrast, defects through the foramen of Morgagni are much more rare. When late presentations occur, patients may be asymptomatic or may be critically ill with respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. In this paper, we present a 9-year-old male who presented with recurrent, vague abdominal pain, and a previously normal abdominal CT scan. Initial investigation via an abdominal radiograph demonstrated an unexpected left lower lobe abnormality. Further evaluation and management revealed this abnormality to be an unusual left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia that appeared through the retrosternal foramen of …

Thiazolyl N-Benzyl-Substituted Acetamide Derivatives: Synthesis, Src Kinase Inhibitory And Anticancer Activities, Asal Fallah-Tafti, Alireza Foroumadi, Rakesh Tiwari, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, David G. Hangauer, Yahao Bu, Tahmineh Akbarzadeh, Keykavous Parang, Abbas Shafiee

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

KX2-391 (KX-01/Kinex Pharmaceuticals), N-benzyl-2-(5-(4-(2-morpholinoethoxy)phenyl)pyridin-2-yl)acetamide, is a highly selective Src substrate binding site inhibitor. To understand better the role of pyridine ring and N-benzylsubstitution in KX2-391 and establish the structure-activity relationship, a number of N-benzyl substituted (2-morpholinoethoxy)phenyl)thiazol-4-yl)acetamide derivatives containing thiazole instead of pyridine were synthesized and evaluated for Src kinase inhibitory activities. The unsubstituted N-benzyl derivative (8a) showed the inhibition of c-Src kinase with GI50 values of 1.34 μM and 2.30 M in NIH3T3/c-Src527F and SYF/c-Src527F cells, respectively. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for inhibition of cell proliferation of human colon carcinoma (HT-29), breast carcinoma (BT-20), and leukemia (CCRF-CEM) cells. …

Labrad : Vol 36, Issue 1 - January 2011, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

LABRAD - Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Radiology Archives

• Routine and Special Liver Function Tests
• Management of Coagulopathy Associated with Liver Disease
• Significance of Clinical and Laboratory Scoring System in Diagnosis of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Chronic Liver Disease
• Laboratory Diagnosis of Hydatid Disease
• Laboratory Diagnosis of Amoebiasis
• Improvement of Bacteriological Yield of Liver Abscess by use of Anaerobic Chambers
• Radiofrequency Ablation of Liver Tumours
• HER2 in Breast Cancer: Frequently Asked Questions
• Clinical Laboratory Continuing Medical Education (CME) Seminar
• World Blood Donor Day at Aga Khan University Blood Bank

A Ten-Year Review Of Neonatal Bloodstream Infections In A Tertiary Private Hospital In Kenya, Ruchika Kohli-Kochhar, Geoffrey Omuse, Gunturu Revathi

Pathology, East Africa

Introduction: Neonatal mortality in developing countries is usually due to an infectious cause. The gold standard of investigation in developing countries is a positive blood culture. It is important to know the aetiology of neonatal bloodstream infections so that empiric treatment can be effective.

Methodology: We conducted a retrospective clinical audit over ten years between January 2000 until December 2009, looking at the aetiology of both early and late onset neonatal sepsis. We analysed data from 152 (23%) patient isolates out of 662 suspected cases of neonatal sepsis.

Results: Our study revealed that Gram-positive organisms were the predominant cause of …

Management Of Acute Regurgitation In Left-Sided Cardiac Valves, Nahush A Mokadam, Karen K Stout, Edward D Verrier

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The management of acute, severe cardiac valvular regurgitation requires expeditious multidisciplinary care. Although acute, severe valvular regurgitation can be a true surgical emergency, accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment decisions require clinical acumen, appropriate imaging, and sound judgment. An accurate and timely diagnosis is essential for successful outcomes and requires appropriate expertise and a sufficiently high degree of suspicion in a variety of settings. Whereas cardiovascular collapse is the most obvious and common presentation of acute cardiac valvular regurgitation, findings may be subtle, and the clinical presentation can often be nonspecific. Consequently, other acute conditions such as sepsis, pneumonia, or nonvalvular …

Cardiac Surgery: A Century Of Progress, Allen B Weisse

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Well into the first decades of the 20th century, medical opinion held that any surgical attempts to treat heart disease were not only misguided, but unethical. Despite such reservations, innovative surgeons showed that heart wounds could be successfully repaired. Then, extracardiac procedures were performed to correct patent ductus arteriosus, coarctation of the aorta, and tetralogy of Fallot. Direct surgery on the heart was accomplished with closed commissurotomy for mitral stenosis. The introduction of the heart-lung machine and cardiopulmonary bypass enabled the surgical treatment of other congenital and acquired heart diseases. Advances in aortic surgery paralleled these successes. The development of …

Malpractice Suits And Physician Apologies In Cancer Care, Eugene Chung, Jill R. Horwitz, John A.E. Pottow, Reshma Jagsi

Articles

Conside the following case: The patient is a 44-year-old woman who presents for radiation treatment of an isolated locoregional recurrence of breat cancer in her chest wall, 3 years after undergoing masectomy. At the time of diagnosis, she had T2N2M0 disease, with four of 15 lymph nodes involved with tumor. She received a masectomy with negative margins and appropriate chemotherapy, but none of her physicians talked to her about postmasectomy radiation therapy, which would clearly have been indicated to reduce her risk of locoregional failure and would have been expected to improve her likelihood of survival. She asks the radiation …

Significant Inhibition Of Corneal Scarring In Vivo With Tissue-Selective, Targeted Aav5 Decorin Gene Therapy, Rajiv R. Mohan, Ashish Tandon, Ajay Sharma, John W. Cowden, Jonathan C. K. Tovey

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE. This study tested a hypothesis that tissue-selective targeted decorin gene therapy delivered to the stroma with adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5) inhibits corneal fibrosis in vivo without significant side effects.

METHODS. An in vivo rabbit model of corneal fibrosis was used. Targeted decorin gene therapy was delivered to the rabbit cornea by a single topical application of AAV5 (100 L; 6.5 1012 g/mL) onto the bare stroma for 2 minutes. The levels of corneal fibrosis were determined with stereomicroscopy, slit lamp biomicroscopy, -smooth muscle actin ( SMA), fibronectin, and F-actin immunocytochemistry, and/or immunoblotting. CD11b, F4/80 immunocytochemistry, and TUNEL assay …

Event-Related Potential Studies Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Critical Review And Synthesis, Arash Javanbakht, Israel Liberzon, Alireza Amirsadri, Klevest Gjini, Nash N. Boutros

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Despite the sparseness of the currently available data, there is accumulating evidence of information processing impairment in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Studies of event-related potentials (ERPs) are the main tool in real time examination of information processing. In this paper, we sought to critically review the ERP evidence of information processing abnormalities in patients with PTSD. We also examined the evidence supporting the existence of a relationship between ERP abnormalities and symptom profiles or severity in PTSD patients. An extensive Medline search was performed. Keywords included PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, electrophysiology or EEG, electrophysiology, P50, P100, N100, P2, …

Unfolded Protein Response In Cancer: The Physician's Perspective, Xuemei Li, Kezhong Zhang, Zihai Li

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a cascade of intracellular stress signaling events in response to an accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Cancer cells are often exposed to hypoxia, nutrient starvation, oxidative stress and other metabolic dysregulation that cause ER stress and activation of the UPR. Depending on the duration and degree of ER stress, the UPR can provide either survival signals by activating adaptive and antiapoptotic pathways, or death signals by inducing cell death programs. Sustained induction or repression of UPR pharmacologically may thus have beneficial and therapeutic …

A Proposed Mechanism For Drug-Induced Nightmares, Isaac Brezner

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is the introduction of this article: The fields of neuropharmacology and psychopharmacology are known to be highly connected, despite our severe lack of knowledge in these fields. One of the many overlaps between the two fields is sleep, which itself entails many mechanisms and events which are, as of yet, unexplainable. From the perspective of either field, one of the most mysterious events occurring during sleep is dreaming. From the cause of dreams to their content, little is known about them or their more sinister subclassification: nightmares. In this field of disturbed dreaming, neuropharmacology makes a large intrusion …

The Role Of Lipoproteins/Cholesterol In Genomic Instability And Chromosome Mis-Segregation In Alzheimer's And Cardiovascular Disease, Antoneta Granic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Several lines of evidence link Alzheimer's disease (AD) to atherosclerosis (CVD), including that elevated low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol is a common risk factor. Development of genomic instability could also link the two diseases. Previous fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses revealed a clonal expansion of aneuploid smooth muscle cells underlying atherosclerotic plaques. Likewise, cellular and mouse models of AD revealed tau-dependent mitotic defects and subsequent aneuploidy partly resulting from amyloid-beta (A&beta) interference with microtubule (MT) stability, and specific MT motors function. Moreover, AD patients develop aneuploid/hyperploid cells in brain and peripheral tissues, implicating similar mechanism that may lead to apoptosis …

Minimal Vs Extensive Esophageal Mobilization During Laparoscopic Fundoplication: A Prospective Randomized Trial., Shawn D. St Peter, Douglas C. Barnhart, Daniel J. Ostlie, Kuojen Tsao, Charles M. Leys, Susan W. Sharp, Donna Bartle, Tracey Morgan, Carroll M. Harmon, Keith E. Georgeson, G W. Holcomb Iii

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication has been traditionally performed with extensive esophageal dissection to create 2 to 3 cm of intraabdominal esophagus. Retrospective data have suggested that minimal esophageal mobilization may reduce the risk of postoperative herniation of the wrap into the lower mediastinum. To compare complete esophageal dissection to leaving the phrenoesophageal attachment intact, we conducted a 2-center, prospective, randomized trial.

METHODS: After obtaining permission/assent, patients were randomized to circumferential division of the phrenoesophageal attachments (MAX) or minimal mobilization with no violation of the phrenoesophageal membrane (MIN). A contrast study was performed at 1 year. The primary outcome variable was …

Biochemical Comparison Of Osteoarthritic Knees With And Without Effusion, Nicole M. Cattano, Jeffrey B. Driban, Easwaran Balasubramanian, Mary F. Barbe, Mamta Amin, Michael R. Sitler

Sports Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Amyloid-Beta/Fyn–Induced Synaptic, Network, And Cognitive Impairments Depend On Tau Levels In Multiple Mouse Models Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Erik D. Roberson, Brian Halabisky, Jong W. Yoo, Jinghua Yao, Jeannie Chin, Fengrong Yan, Tiffany Wu, Patricia Hamto, Nino Devidze, Gui-Qiu Yu, Jorge J. Palop, Jeffrey L. Noebels, Lennart Mucke

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder, is a growing public health problem and still lacks effective treatments. Recent evidence suggests that microtubule-associated protein tau may mediate amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) toxicity by modulating the tyrosine kinase Fyn.Weshowed previously that tau reduction prevents, and Fyn overexpression exacerbates, cognitive deficits in human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) transgenic mice overexpressing Aβ. However, the mechanisms by which Aβ, tau, and Fyn cooperate in AD-related pathogenesis remain to be fully elucidated. Here we examined the synaptic and network effects of this pathogenic triad. Tau reduction prevented cognitive decline induced by synergistic effects of Aβ …

Aortic Dissection Or Myocardial Infarction?, Saulat H. Fatimi, Maria Mahboob, Awais Ashfaq

Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Aortic dissection is a rare and a life threatening event. Classically, aortic dissection presents as sudden, severe chest, back or abdominal pain that is characterized as ripping or tearing in nature. However, a timely diagnosis can be elusive in the event of an atypical presentation. So, a high index of clinical suspicion is mandatory for the accurate and rapid diagnosis of aortic dissection .We report a case of a 56 years old male who presented with signs and symptoms of myocardial infarction and was later found to have aortic dissection. This patient was successfully managed with surgery.

Basal Internal Anal Sphincter Tone, Inhibitory Neurotransmission, And Other Factors Contributing To The Maintenance Of High Pressures In The Anal Canal, S. Rattan, J. Singh

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

Maintenance of the basal tone in the internal anal sphincter (IAS) is critical for rectoanal continence. Effective evacuation requires a fully functional rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR)-mediated relaxation of the IAS via inhibitory neurotransmission (INT). Systematic studies examining the nature of the INT in different species have identified nitric oxide (NO) as the major inhibitory neurotransmitter. However, other mediators such as vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), ATP, and carbon monoxide (CO) may also play species-specific role under certain experimental conditions. Measurements of the intraluminal pressures in the IAS along with the force of the isolated IAS tissues are the mainstay in the …

Evaluation Of Verbal Behavior In Older Adults, Amy Gross

Dissertations

Older adults make up a large and increasing portion of the population (U.S. apply those assessments to the evaluation of verbal behavior in older adults with and without dementia. The research addressed two questions. First, in what way do verbal behavior problems differ between older adults with and without dementia? Second, does language deteriorate in a pattern compatible with Skinner's analysis of functionally independent verbal operants? Thirty-one participants were categorized into Control (n=15) and Dementia (n=16) Groups based on their score on the Dementia Rating Scale-2. Verbal behavior assessments were administered to participants on two occasions, separated by one week. …

Scaling Up The Provision Of Family Planning Messages In Antenatal And Postpartum Services In Upper Egypt, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Sally Saher

Reproductive Health

An operations research study by the Population Council’s FRONTIERS program in 20 facilities in Upper Egypt showed that integration of birth spacing messages into antenatal and postpartum care was feasible, acceptable to women and their husbands, and was associated with increased postpartum contraception. This report describes the initial and scale-up phases, their outcomes, challenges, and recommendations for improvement. In addition to successfully scaling up the program, the main achievement was securing the support and investment of senior MoHP officials at the central level, as well as the support and commitment of managers and supervisors at governorate and district levels. The …

The Prevention And Management Of Hiv And Sexual And Gender-Based Violence: Responding To The Needs Of Survivors And Those-At-Risk, Sarah Raifman, Ian Askew, Sajeda Amin, Jill Keesbury, Saiqa Mullick, Judith A. Diers, Meiwita P. Budiharsana, Chi-Chi Undie, Mary Zama, Mantshi Menziwa, Sherry Hutchinson, Naomi Rutenberg

Reproductive Health

The Population Council seeks to understand the social, economic, political, and physical context of risks for sexual and gender-based violence and HIV. Among the top priorities of Council research are supporting and evaluating efforts to prevent violence and HIV, including creating safe spaces for adolescent girls, and working with men and boys to change gender norms within the community; and comprehensively responding to the needs of survivors (including those who are HIV-infected) by strengthening health systems and integrating services. The purpose of this guide is to provide practical guidance on the steps necessary to establish and strengthen sexual violence (SV) …

Accuracy Of Computed Tomography In Diagnosing Malignancy In Solitary Pulmonary Lesions, Imaad-Ur-Rehman, Wasim Memon, Yousuf Husen, Waseem Akhtar, Raafay Sophie, Muhammad Akbar Baig

Department of Radiology

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate accuracy of Computed Tomography (CT) for diagnosing malignancy in solitary pulmonary lesions (SPLs).

METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from 20-01-2007 to 30-06-2008 at the Radiology department, Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) Karachi. Fifty-three patients with solitary pulmonary lesions (SPLs) seen in prior chest x-rays or chest CT scans were referred to radiology department for CT guided biopsy. CT scan was performed for each patient prior to biopsy and CT evaluation of the SPLs was performed followed by CT guided Biopsy. Histopathological diagnosis of the lesion was taken as the gold standard.

RESULTS: CT was found …

Preference Assessments For Older Adults With Dementia: Utility Of The Mswo Procedure And Assessment Of The Stability Of Preference, Paige B. Raetz

Dissertations

Individuals with dementia suffer from a variety of cognitive deficits that can lead to a lack of engagement in activities. In recent years, researchers have begun to look at ways to assess preferences in hopes that increased identification of leisure items may lead to increases in engagement. Due to the decline in cognitive status a simple questionnaire may not be sufficient to assess preference for this population. As a result, several recent studies have incorporated the use of systematic preference assessments to assess preference for leisure activities with adults with dementia using a paired stimulus format. The purpose of the …

The Neural Underpinnings Of Prosody In Autism, Inge-Marie Eigsti, Jillian Schuh, Einar Mencl, Robert T. Schultz, Rhea Paul

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

This study examines the processing of prosodic cues to linguistic structure and to affect, drawing on fMRI and behavioral data from 16 high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 11 typically developing controls. Stimuli were carefully matched on pitch, intensity, and duration, while varying systematically in conditions of affective prosody (angry versus neutral speech) and grammatical prosody (questions versus statement). To avoid conscious attention to prosody, which normalizes responses in young people with ASD, the implicit comprehension task directed attention to semantic aspects of the stimuli. Results showed that when perceiving prosodic cues, both affective and grammatical, activation of …

The Effects Of Smoking On Pregnant Women, Meir Cohen

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Smoking during pregnancy is accepted as the most significant avoidable risk factor for an unsuccessful pregnancy result. Smoking is linked with fetal growth restriction, and increasing evidence also suggests that smoking can cause stillbirth, preterm birth, placental abruption, and possibly sudden infant death syndrome. Smoking during pregnancy is also associated with enhanced risks of spontaneous abortions, ectopic pregnancies, and placenta previa, and it might increase risks of behavioral disorders in childhood. Studies have shown with randomized controlled trials, that smoking intervention during pregnancy has had limited success. Smoking during pregnancy continues to be an important risk factor for maternal and …

Inhibition Of P53 Dna Binding Function By The Mdm2 Acidic Domain, Brittany Lynne Cross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

MDM2 regulates p53 predominantly by promoting p53 ubiquitination. However, ubiquitination-independent mechanisms of MDM2 have also been implicated. Here we show that MDM2 inhibits p53 DNA binding activity in vitro and in vivo. MDM2 binding promotes p53 to adopt a mutant-like conformation, losing reactivity to antibody Pab1620, while exposing the Pab240 epitope. The acidic domain of MDM2 is required to induce p53 conformational change and inhibit p53 DNA binding. ARF binding to the MDM2 acidic domain restores p53 wild type conformation and rescues DNA binding activity. Furthermore, histone methyl transferase SUV39H1 binding to the MDM2 acidic domain also restores p53 wild …

Are Proton Pump Inhibitors A Safe And Effective Treatment For Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease In Infants Less Than Twelve Months Old?, Mariah Smith

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not proton pump inhibitors are a safe and effective treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease in infants less than twelve months old.

Does Massage Therapy Promote Weight Gain In Preterm Infants?, Tyler Rychlewski

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not massage therapy promotes weight gain in preterm infants.